Tears Of The Lioness
by Kyonae Falcona
Summary: Ch.6! Quistis teaches them about the Lunatic Pandora...then Athena teaches her a lesson she'll never forget...please R/R!
1. Default Chapter

A/N:I was sitting in my room, thinking of a new story idea, when I came up with the notion that maybe Ultimecia did have something to lose in her defeat, that maybe her domination of the planet wasn't all because of her anger and hatred for it. I thought, what if she had a daughter? In this prologue, Squall, Selphie, Irvine, and Zell are seven years old, Seifer and Quistis are eight, and Ellone is nine years old. Please R/R!  
  
  
  
Prologue: Little Girl In Black  
  
"You're not pwayin' by the rules, Irvy," Selphie complained as the small chesnut haired boy began to march his piece aimlessly over the game board.  
  
"This is borrring. I wanna pway outside," he complained back, setting the piece down. "When is it gonna stop waining?"  
  
"It can't just stop, Irvine," Quisty said with much authority. "Wain clouds is made up of a lot of water particles in the sky. They get real heavy until they can't hold waters anymore, then FWOOSH! Nobody can stop it. Right, Matwon?"  
  
Matron walked into the living room, carrying a tray of cookies and nine glasses of milk. "Right, Quisty," she chuckled. "Here's some treats for you while you play, okay?"  
  
"Yay! Cookies!" Zell reached for one but then Seifer grabbed it before he could, cackling with a rude smirk on his face. "HEY! That's mine! Matwon, he took my cookie!"  
  
"Cry baby Ze-ell," he taunted.  
  
"Seifer, don't do that, and Zell, there's plenty more. Share, okay?"  
  
"Kay," Squall mumbled, his mouth full of cookie crumbs and his lips already sticky with chocolate. Ellone handed him a napkin, giggling.  
  
Seifer noticed there was an extra glass of milk on the tray and remembered who it was for. He looked over to see a little girl in the corner his age. She had long midnight black hair and vivid blue eyes flecked with silver. Her skin was pale white and she wore a black dress with long sleeves and a turtleneck collar. She had been brought to the orphanage one night when they had all been sleeping about three and a half years ago. She didn't talk at all, Matron said she was mute, but Seifer was the only one she'd play with. The others kind of ignored her, but then again she pretty much ignored them too. She sat in the corner at the small playtable, coloring. Matron bent over to Seifer and whispered, "Seifer, would you give Luna her milk? She looks a little sad today."  
  
"All right." Seifer grabbed a cookie and Luna's cup and rambled over to where she sat.  
  
"Hi, Luna. Want some milk?" he held it out to her, brushing his shoulder length blond hair out of his face.  
  
She looked up at him and gave him her happy look. She never smiled or anything, but when her eyes looked tranquil and her face relaxed, he knew she was happy to see him. She pulled out another playchair for him, taking the cup gratefully and sipping slowly, her large eyes fluttering in thanks. Seifer broke the cookie in half and gave a piece to her. She chewed on it as she continued to draw.  
  
"Whatcha drawin'?" Seifer asked, looking over at the picture. It was a rectangle, kind of, with eight sticks drawn sticking out on top of it, and a squiggly line straight through it.  
  
"Hey, is that a cake?" he guessed.  
  
She nodded slowly, adding more squiggles and then ovals to the top of the sticks.  
  
"A birthday cake?"  
  
She nodded again, drawing a plate for it.  
  
"Hey!" he smiled broadly. "Today's yoor birthday, isn't it?"  
  
Luna nodded once more, with more vigor and her eyes gleaming.  
  
"Wow. Happy birthday, Luna." Seifer took a drink and noticed she was getting out another piece of paper. She was drawing with a black crayon now. She drew a detailed figure with a dress and wings, and used a yellow crayon for its hair. She added red to the dress, making sleeves and ribbons.  
  
"Whatcha drawin' now? Who's that?" Seifer asked.  
  
Luna paused in her drawing and looked at him as if pondering something. Her eyes stared blankly into his with no expression that he could translate, then returned to the paper.  
  
She was writing at the bottom of the picture in red crayon. Her writing was neat and straight. She slowly wrote out an 'M', then an 'A'.  
  
I.E.M.  
  
MAIEM.  
  
"Maiem? Who's Maiem? A friend of yours?"  
  
Luna stared the picture, then at him, the picture again, and grimaced angrily. Growling, she gripped the red crayon and scribbled on the picture of Maiem harshly until she was nothing but a huge blot of crimson on the paper. Then she picked it up and with another angry noise ripped it in half. Luna then turned her chair to the wall and sat with her back turned to him.  
  
Seifer frowned. Luna hadn't gotten that mad or upset for a while. He pulled out a fresh piece of paper and drew two stick figures, one with long black hair and one with yellow hair, two green dots on the yellow haired one and two blue ones for the black haired one. They held stick hands in the picture, and Seifer finished it by writing SEIFER AND LUNA in really shaky upper case letters and drawing a big yellow sun above them both.  
  
"Luna?"  
  
She didn't turn around. He tapped her shoulder and held out the picture for her to see.  
  
"Look. I drawed yoo a picture, Luna."  
  
Luna turned her head reluctantly to look at him, and saw the picture. She took it in her hands and read the names.  
  
"I'll be yoor friend, Luna. Always. We'll be friends forever. Don't be sad anymore. 'Kay?"  
  
Luna's large bluesilver eyes quivered as she looked at the heartfelt picture. Then she came forward and gave him a squeezing hug.  
  
"S'okay," he encouraged, hugging her back. "Yoo don't have to be sad. You can be happy if you want." Luna pulled away and for the first time, gave the slightest smile.  
  
Just then there was a knocking on the front door. Luna's eyes darted towards the door and widened considerably, and she quickly ducked behind Seifer as if afraid.  
  
Matron went to the door and answered it. Standing on the doorstep were three men, two tall men in white lab coats and a rather short one wearing colorful attire and a large frill around his neck. Seifer felt Luna's fingers dig into the back of his vest forebodingly. He had a bad feeling about the man, too.  
  
"Hello. What can I do for you? Would you like to come in?" Matron asked.  
  
"No, zank you very much," the short man said. "I'm here on very important business. I am Doctor Odine and I haff orders from Esthar to collect two children in your custody. an Ellone and Luna."  
  
"Oh. Well, for what reason?"  
  
"I don't zink zat should be any of your concern, madam." He gestured toward the two men beside him and they barged in past Matron.  
  
"Now wait just a minute! You can't just march in here and swipe them away! They have to gather their belongings-"  
  
"Accomodations have already been made for them," he said calmly as one of the men took Ellone by the arm.  
  
"Matwon, I don't wanna go," Ellone begged. "Don't make me go."  
  
The other man advanced toward Seifer, seeing Luna behind him. "Don't play hero, little boy. Give her up."  
  
"Up yours!" Seifer spat, sticking out his tongue. Luna dashed out from behind him and ran into the bedroom.  
  
"Hans, get her!" Dr. Odine said sharply.  
  
Han ran in and dragged out a very frustrated Luna, clutching something in her hand. She didn't struggle, as if she knew she had no choice.  
  
"SIS!" Squall cried, seeing the other man taking Ellone outside. He already had tears streaming down his face, Quistis held him back with small arms. Matron was beaten, looking at the papers saying they had authority to take them. "Stay back, children. Ellone and Luna have to go."  
  
Seifer watched as they dragged Luna out the door as well. She stared at him with scared eyes, and for a moment fought her way back inside.  
  
"Seifer."  
  
The small blond did a double take as he heard Luna speak. She said it quietly and he almost didn't hear, but she had spoken.  
  
"Seifer," she said louder, waving goodbye, before she was yanked out into the rain.  
  
****  
  
It took Matron an entire three hours to get Squall to stop crying. He'd loved Sis so much and she'd just been taken away.  
  
He stepped out onto the front patio and watched the rain pour down from the sky. He sniffled and felt droplets drip off the roof and land on his yellow shirt. So much had been taken from him. Sis.his parents.he didn't even know who they were. But they'd been taken away too. He hadn't gotten to know Luna that well, but already he could feel the absence of her quiet presence. He knew that Seifer was very upset, anyway.  
  
"I'm all alone," Squall said to himself. "But I'm doing my best...I'll be okay without you, Sis.I'll be able to take care of myself."  
  
  
  
In the darkness, all Luna could hear was the sound of Ellone sobbing.  
  
It had been three weeks now. Odine's Lab was a quiet place, with starch white walls and small laboratories and rooms with large machines. For the past three weeks Luna and Ellone had been pincushions for the doctors. They were testing them for sorceress powers, any trace at all. All blood tests had come up negative so far, though really Luna couldn't figure how blood could be involved in the paramagic.  
  
She rolled over onto her back, staring up at the dark ceiling. All Ellone had done for three weeks was cry. She didn't want to be here. It scared her terribly to be here. She wanted to be back at the orphanage, with her friends. Her family. By day she was locked up in a little area where they could gawk behind glass and take notes, by night she laid awake in her small bed and cried to sleep. Luna could barely stand it. She couldn't bring herself to cry. The minute she walked into the lab, the moment she felt those probing doctor eyes on her, the second the first needle punctured her skin to draw blood, something had snapped in her mind. She felt angry at everything. She felt anger towards the doctors, Odine, Matron.  
  
Maiem.  
  
She couldn't stop the anger. It had become almost a natural feeling. She actually enjoyed the feeling because it helped her keep from losing confidence or her composure. Plus, the doctors seemed to sense her ire and tended to stay away from her if possible. The only one who was not affected was the one called Odine. He was actually very intrigued with her poisonous nature. He was on her back constantly, jotting down every move she made and his hypothesis why. Scientists, Luna thought irritably. Foolish men trying to do the gods' work. One day they would meet their fate.  
  
"Sniff.Luna?"  
  
Ellone's sobs had lessened slightly as she spoke her name into the darkness. Luna sighed and answered back.  
  
"Yes, Elle."  
  
Ellone paused. She still had trouble with the fact that Luna actually could talk, and had refused to before, not the fallocy that she had been mute for over a year. "Are yoo scared?"  
  
".No. Not really."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I do not know. Maybe I'm too angry to be scared."  
  
"Angry at.me?"  
  
"No, of course not. What did you do?" Luna rolled over to her side. Actually, that was a lie. She was kind of annoyed at her constant tears, though she could understand why. "I'm angry at the men who brought us here. The scientists who suck out our blood and stare at us every day. Aren't you?"  
  
"Sniff.kinda." Suddenly, Ellone giggled. "Yoo know, my Uncle Laguna once said that if I wasn't careful, the monsters would come after me and suck out all my blood. They'd be after me because I was so cute. And then he said if that happened, he'd cwy. I guess he was right."  
  
Luna's thin eyebrows raised in the darkness. That name had triggered something in her mind. "Tell me more about your Uncle Laguna, Ellone."  
  
"'Kay." She seemed to be sounding better now, like the thought of this Laguna cheered her up. "He's not really my uncle. He was a soldier or something like that, Laguna Loire, and one day he got real hurt and he was brought to our village, Winhill. My Aunt Raine took care of him. My parents went away. But Uncle Laguna really liked Raine, and I thought he should marry her and then we could all be together.but then he went away."  
  
".He died?"  
  
"Nope. He went back out to be a soldier again.but then Aunt Raine.died. I went to the orphanage then." Ellone sounded like she was going to get upset again. "Everyone went away and left me alone."  
  
Luna closed her eyes. Laguna.soldier.Winhill.Loire.  
  
We have to get Elle back.!  
  
She opened her eyes again, letting out a breath. "Do not be afraid anymore, Ellone. Your Uncle Laguna is coming for you. He's coming back. You won't be alone anymore."  
  
"How'd ya know, Luna?"  
  
".I.don't know."  
  
Luna paced inside the holding cell. It was made of some kind of blue glass that she couldn't break, the air inside cool and vented. She could see them watching her, but she had gone far beyond caring. Ellone was sitting to the side, crying again. She'd done it less so since Luna had told her her Laguna was coming, but she didn't like the holding cells. She wasn't used to such closed in spaces.  
  
She fingered at the silver chain around her neck. It was what she had run back for in the orphanage, she couldn't afford to lose it. It was the only piece of her past that she had. It was a silver chain, with a silver figurehead of a lioness as its pendant.  
  
"Vat is zat, little Luna?"  
  
She looked up at Dr. Odine, who had walked into the holding cell. He eyed the pendant quite curiously.  
  
"My necklace," she answered sourly. "Though it's none of your business."  
  
"Ah, but I make it my bizness, ya?" He continued to eye it. "Ze lioness looks familiar, it does. She has a name?"  
  
".Sekhma." Luna replied. "A Goddess of destruction and domination. You've heard of Griever?"  
  
"I have read up on ze Guardian Forces, ya."  
  
"She's his counterpart. Griever was known to be a influencable spirit. Evil swarmed him easily. When that happened, Sekhma was known to bring him down with merciless viciousness. She was stronger than him, though female. Lionesses are known for their ferocity and might."  
  
"But it iz only a legend."  
  
"Maybe. Maybe not. Legends must come from some factual origin."  
  
Dr. Odine gave her a look. "You know, you are uzing zome fine vocabulary for a girl who iz only eight years old."  
  
"Maybe. Why, you'd rather me speak like a simple child? I will."  
  
"No, no. I am actually enjoying zis converzation. Regardless that I'm having it with an eight year old." He bent down and looked her right in the eyes. "But zere iz zomething about you, Luna. You are different zan any other child. And uzing my scientific knowledge.I vill find you out. So don't try to hide anything, little Luna. It vill be in vain."  
  
"Believe me, doctor," she replied. "What you see is what I am. But I won't be here long. And your day of fate shall come."  
  
"Hmmm." Dr, Odine analyzed her a bit longer, and then left.  
  
"Is.is he gone?" Ellone asked, her hands over her eyes. "Yes, Elle. He has left."  
  
"Good." She uncovered her pretty brown eyes. "Ooh, I hate that guy. He talks funny...." Suddenly Ellone held her head. "Oh."  
  
"What's wrong, Elle?"  
  
"I feel.funny. Tired. I." She dropped to the floor, asleep.  
  
"Ellone? Ellone!" Luna cried. Suddenly a high pitched noise filled her ears, piercing her brain and making her go numb. "Ugh---agghh!" She fell to the laboratory floor, unconscious. ~~~~~~~  
  
A tall man with blonde hair got out of his fancy car, dragging roughly along a little boy to the front door of Edea's Orphanage, and then, ringing the doorbell, got back into his car and sped away, a sour look on his face.  
  
(What's going on.? What is this?)  
  
Seifer stood on the doorstep of the orphanage alone, a small backpack of clothes and belongings strapped to him. His hair was messed and uneven, his face and arms covered in bruises. He was very thin and pale, and only four years old.  
  
(Seifer.?)  
  
The door opened and a woman appeared, with long black hair and a gray-black dress, and kind yellow eyes. She looked out, then looked down and saw him.  
  
(Matron.)  
  
"Oh, my! What happened to you, little one?" she gasped, kneeling down and looking at his dark bruises and black eyes. Never had she seen such an abused child before, and he looked like he was about to drop from hunger.there was a yellow sticky note pinned to his fraying, dirty vest. She plucked it off and read it, shaking her head in sorrow. It read, 'You take him. He's no son of mine.' "My, my.what is your name, little boy?" she asked.  
  
He swallowed. He looked like was even having trouble talking, as if afraid to. ".S.Seifer," he mumbled, trembling.  
  
"Hello Seifer. Would you like to come inside?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he cried out and backed away. "Ahh! NO!"  
  
(What happened to him.? He looks terrible.)  
  
"No, no! Seifer, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again, do you understand? You're safe now. Ok? You're safe here, and no one can hurt you. All right?"  
  
(His father.did this to him? So cruel.)  
  
He looked at her a little distrustingly, but then stepped forward. "My name's Seifer Almasy. What's yoor name?"  
  
"My name is Edea Kramer, Seifer. But you can call me Matron. Ok? That's what the rest of the family calls me."  
  
Seifer's eyes welled up with tears. Family? "Matwyn," he said, before running into her arms.  
  
(Don't cry, Seifer. Why does anyone cry? It doesn't change anything.)  
  
"Shh, little darling.don't cry.come on inside. We're all just sitting down to lunch. Wait until you meet the other children! I'll make an extra spot at the table and you eat as much as you want! Would you like that, Seifer?"  
  
"Sniff.yeah."  
  
"Alright, then. Welcome to your new home, Seifer," she said, picking him up and bringing him inside. "Your new family."  
  
(Family.)  
  
(I should've stayed with my family.) ~~~~~~  
  
"Luna? Luna, vake up, girl! Vake up!"  
  
Luna opened her eyes, blinking. She was lying on an operating table, staring up at faces that were staring down, but she couldn't see them clearly in the bright light of the operating lamp. She moved her joints, a little stiff from falling but okay. She sat up. Ellone was on another table, just waking up from her sleep too.  
  
"What happened?" she asked, though she had some idea.  
  
"Vat happened? VAT HAPPENED?! I shall tell you vat happened! It vas amazing! Extraordinary! Groundbreaking!" Dr. Odine was very excited as he spoke. "Ellone just zent your consciousness into the past! You saw the past, didn't you? Vat did you zee?"  
  
"I saw.a friend of mine." In any other situation she would've kept quiet, but in this case she wanted to understand this as much as he did. "In the orphanage I was in. But he was four years younger than he is today."  
  
"AHA! Brilliant! Zis iz vonderful! Ellone, vat did you zee?"  
  
"I saw.the same exact thing," Ellone replied, nervous.  
  
"Spectacular! Ellone sent you both into the past! How intriguing, yes!" He jotted it all down in his notebook. "Vat mysterious power iz zis? I must run more tests! More tests!"  
  
1 Year Later  
  
Dr. Odine's rantings were true. He ran so many tests that Luna could not possibly number them all. He learned that Ellone was able to send people's minds into the past temporarily, and sometimes against her will. The exceptions were that she could only send people into the pasts of people she knew, and only into the past. Plus, there was no way to change the past you were sent into. But just the fact that she was able to accomplish this by way of her own mind was facsinating to Odine.  
  
Luna underwent several tests everyday, but they could find nothing unusual about her except for her attitude and intelligence. Still Odine didn't let her go. He was dead set that she was hiding something and he wouldn't give up. Luna found this very annoying.  
  
Luna paced in her cell. She was alone, Ellone had been sent to another cell nearby so they could run special tests and experiments without Luna's watchful eyes on them. Ellone and Luna had come to be good friends over the year that they'd been here. They talked about how one day her Uncle Laguna would come and save them.  
  
"When do you think he's coming? It's been an entire year now," Ellone had said last night, now ten years old.  
  
"I'm not sure. Soon. Very soon." Luna had said, nine years now. "How do you know all this stuff?"  
  
"I'm not sure of that either. I just get these feelings sometimes. Voices. Presences. He went to the orphanage, I think, looking for you a year ago, but you were gone. And now I feel he's very near. I see him in my dreams." Luna had become very comfortable telling Ellone about her strange precognitions. "He's tall, with long brown hair, wearing a blue jacket and red pants, right? With two friends. A thin one with braids and a massive man with a bandana. Right?"  
  
"Yeah. Those guys are Kiros and Ward. I only met Kiros once though, when I was little." She had whistled in amazement. "Your dreams tell you a lot. Where is he now, d'ya know?"  
  
"Last night.I saw him in some kind of control room, far below a building.a Moomba was there, and an old man.he caused a great ruckus."  
  
"Hee hee! Yeah, that's Uncle Laguna!" she had laughed. Luna gave a rare soft smile.  
  
"But anyway.Luna, when my Uncle Laguna comes, you're coming too, right?"  
  
"Me? I.I don't know. I have a feeling." she had shuddered suddenly. "I have this feeling I'm going to be here for a very long time."  
  
"You can't stay here, Luna! Uncle Laguna and Elle and Luna.we should all be together! Uncle Laguna would like you a lot, Luna. He wouldn't just leave you here. C'mon, Luna. You gotta promise.no matter what happens, we've all got to be together. That you'll come with me."  
  
Ellone had grasped Luna's hands, as if begging. Luna was startled by the move. But then she had realized that the last time she'd wanted to be with a family, Laguna had gone away and Raine had died. If it happened again.  
  
"I promise, Ellone. When Laguna comes, I'm coming with you. We're.we're best friends." The words 'best friends' came haltingly on her tongue.  
  
"Hey, yeah!" she said happily, smiling. "Best friends forever!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Now today she paced like a hungry lion in a cage, feeling strange in her new clothes. She had outgrown her dress, and now wore black pants and a black turtleneck, and black boots. She'd experienced a sudden growth spurt over the past year, and although she was younger than Elle she was slightly taller. Actually, the clothes were more comfortable and lighter than the heavy skirt, so she really didn't mind. And they were black, her favorite color.  
  
She stopped as she felt a sudden throb in her head, only slightly painful. Then in her ears she heard a round of machine gun fire and breaking glass.  
  
DR. ODINE! Where's Ellone?!  
  
Luna gasped as the voice went away. Laguna! The voices were far away, in another lab near Odine's, but she knew it was Laguna's voice. She wanted to tell Ellone in the next cell, but the blue glass was soundproof and she continued to sit on the floor and cry. The door between the cells was locked.  
  
A few minutes later she heard his voice again, but now he was much closer.  
  
Ellone?! ELLONE!!! Darn, she can't hear me.  
  
Luna looked up. Laguna was peering through the glass of Ellone's cell from the upper control room. His eyes were filled with relief and anxiety at the same time. Then he backed away from the glass for a few moments.  
  
Minutes later the door to Ellone's cell whirred open and Laguna ran in, shouting her name out in joy.  
  
Ellone!  
  
Uncle Laguna! You came!  
  
Laguna embraced her as if she were his daughter, tears rolling down his fair cheeks, tears of happiness. Ellone was crying too, but no longer with sorrow.  
  
Yeah. I'm a little late, but.oh Ellone, I missed you so much.  
  
Luna watched them through the glass, touched by their love. That was family.?  
  
"ELLONE!"  
  
Dr. Odine ran into Luna's cell, towards the adjoining door. He wasn't about to let her get away so easily. "NO!" Luna stepped forward to stop him, but he pushed her frantically to the ground and went to door and started punching in the code.  
  
Luna snarled angrily at being tossed aside and was on her feet in a second, her rage rising faster than she could control. Ellone had to be with her family. And she was going to be, even if Luna paid the price.  
  
"FIRAGA!" the girl shouted, her palms raised instinctively at the scientist.  
  
An enormous fireball hurled itself at Dr. Odine, just as he got the door open. He flew through Ellone's cell and slammed painfully into the wall, too dazed to get up.  
  
"AAAACCK!"  
  
Luna ran in through the open door and looked at the two. Laguna's eyebrows were raised in surprise, Ellone clutched to his waist in shock.  
  
"Get out of here, Ellone. I'll hold him off," Luna ordered.  
  
"Thanks, kid!" Laguna waved at her, then picked up Ellone and ran out.  
  
Dr. Odine staggered to his feet, groaning. His clothes were burnt and his frilly collar was on fire. He screamed as his burned him, then ripped it off and threw it to the ground, stomping on it to put out the flame.  
  
Luna still had her hands outstretched at him, waiting for him to make a move. "I'll do it again, Doctor Odine!" she spat fiercely. "Make one move toward that door and I'll incinerate you!"  
  
Odine stared at her incredulously, blinking, his face covered in soot. His mouth hung wide open in awe. He'd forgotten all about Ellone. He stared at her hands that had spouted fire, her ferocious expression and her glowing bluesilver eyes.  
  
"Go ahead," he breathed. "I know you have the power.Sorceress Luna."  
  
Luna lowered her arms, glaring at him. "What.did you call me?"  
  
"Sorceress," he said again. "You are a Sorceress. No other child could create a spell zat advanced, no! I knew it all along."  
  
"Luna, do you haff any idea vat zis means? I tell you now because you are ze sorceress I've been zearching for. Do you know who Sorceress Adel iz?"  
  
"Yes. She is the current ruler of Esthar. Don't ask me these foolish questions, I am not stupid." Luna sat in her seat, fingering her Sekhma chain. They were in a sub, going Hyne knew where. All Odine had told her ws that it was no longer safe for her to be in his own laboratory.  
  
"No, you are not! I zee zat now. But I, I haff been zearching for a successor to Adel. Zere are so many resistances against her. If zomething vere to happen to her, ze entire country vould run amok! She needs an heir, a descendant if you vill, to take her place in case she iz ever.vell.defeated. Do you understand, Luna? We train you into a powerful sorceress, and if Adel comes to mizfortune, you vill take her place and inherit her vast power and become ze sole ruler of ze largest continent in ze vorld!"  
  
"What makes you think I'd want to be a ruler?" she spat.  
  
"Oh, do not lie to Doctor Odine!" he said with a sly smile. "Everyone has a desire. Everyone has a destiny. I know zat deep inside you vant to be powerful and strong, and in control. You hate being veak, don't you? It sickens you to think of weakness. And look at you. Nine years old, with ze brain of a genius, ze ambition of a varrior and ze attitude and aptitude of a fearless, fearful sorceress. Zis iz your destiny, Luna. Become zat merciless ruler zat you desire to be. I can help you do it."  
  
Luna paused as she listened to his words. Was he right? Yes, she wanted power. She craved it. Control? Maybe. It sounded well enough. But could she become what she desired? But something told her she had no choice. He'd make a sorceress of her anyway, the only reason he was being so nice was because he didn't want to become Odine la Flambe again.  
  
"Believe me," he said proudly. "Zere iz nothing Doctor Odine cannot do!"  
  
".Very well, doctor. I'll be Adel's.successor. I'll be the most powerful sorceress in the world." She said sullenly.  
  
"Zat's ze spirit, Luna! Ve vill be arriving at ze Sea Lab shortly. Ve all get a good night's rest, and tomorrow ze training shall commence!"  
  
The next morning Luna got up early, before Odine. The Sea Lab was large, and the thick windows showed dark blue water outside, lit up by sublights. The halls were quiet and every small sound echoed off the walls. Luna sighed. She hated this. To be under the control of another person. She knew she was just a toy Odine wanted to play around with. She really didn't want to be a ruler of a continent. She wanted control, but not that kind of control. But she was more or less a prisoner here, and her powers were not that strong yet. She had no choice but to comply. Inwardly she smirked.  
  
So this would become quite an amusing waiting game.  
  
"I'll show you, Maiem," she said to herself in a morbid tone. "I'll make you proud."  
  
"Luna? Vat are you doing up so early?"  
  
She turned from the aqua window and saw Odine standing there. ".I'm sorry, Doctor. I felt the need to explore. And I cannot wait to begin training."  
  
"Oh, if zat iz ze case, it'z alright. She iz a beaut, ya?" he sighed, looking around him. "Zis iz my zecret laboratory."  
  
"Doctor, let me ask you something. Will I have a weapon?"  
  
"A veapon? Vhy? You have your sorceress powers."  
  
"Because, I was thinking.maybe, I was able to do both magical and physical combat...I would be twice as powerful. A sorceress warrior, or somewhat."  
  
"Hmm.You know, I did not zink of zat. Zat iz a very good idea, actually. Yes, you should have a veapon. Good zinking, Luna! Come vith me."  
  
Dr. Odine led her to a room with racks of weapons. "Zis iz vat ve call the, eh.armory. Ve keep zem here in case of emergencies. Find one you like. Zere are many kinds here."  
  
Luna explored the racks. There were a wide variety, from nunchakus to whips, swords to punching gloves. Finally one caught her eye.  
  
It was a gunblade. The blade was deadly sharp and the barrel was well oiled and ready for use. The base was black, the handle black with silver markings of a bloodcross. She picked it up carefully.  
  
"Ah, zat looks like a good one. Ze.uh.Hyperia, I zink. It's a little out of date, and her brother Hyperion's better, but zink it shall suffice, don't you?"  
  
Luna felt the weight in her hands, gripping the handle. It was heavy. But in time, she knew she would adapt. Becoming daring she gave it a few practice swipes. She relished the sound it made as it swung through the air.  
  
"Very good. But be careful not to slice my head off!" he joked, then saw she wasn't laughing. He shut up and they left the armory.  
  
Luna stepped inside the large training arena. It was spacious, and the floor was white. But it wouldn't be that way for long.  
  
"Ready, Luna?" Dr. Odine said from an observing window high above.  
  
She gave him a thumbs up, Hyperia in her other hand.  
  
"Release ze Level 1 monsters!" Odine said to his assistant.  
  
The door on the opposite side of the arena slid open, and from it poured a swarm of blue wasplike creatures, angry and irritated.  
  
"BiteBug," Luna identified to herself.  
  
She watched them fly at her, hungry for human blood. Then she held out her hand and shouted,  
  
"Thundara!"  
  
A web of lightning entangled around the swarm, frying them instantly. The arena was filled with the sound of BiteBugs dropping dead to the ground.  
  
"Excellent! Release ze Level 2 monsters!"  
  
Next came a group of about ten venus flytrap looking creatures, their vines waving rhythmically in the air.  
  
"Grat."  
  
She started to raise her hands, but lowered them. "What the hell?" she shrugged. Raising her gunblade, she lunged forward.  
  
Blood spattered the floor as one by one the Grats were sliced apart and stabbed and shot. Soon she stood over a mound of Grat scraps. Unbelievable, Dr. Odine thought. She was good. VERY good. "Release ze Level 3 monsters!"  
  
The arena echoed the sounds of wild neighing and stomping hooves. A herd of wild horselike monsters with razor sharp horns on their heads came charging at her, ired and raging.  
  
"Mesmerize."  
  
She held out her palms. "Blizzaga!"  
  
Icicle spears conjured from her fingers and flew at the Mesmerizes, killing them all off. Except one. The leader of the herd, a strong, haughty, bucking male dodged the attacks smugly.  
  
"NEEEEE!" The Mesmerize rose up on its hind legs and shrieked out a shrill cry, then flung its head forward. The horn on its head came loose and flew at Luna, who dodged too late.  
  
Slash!  
  
The horn blade cut a stinging, bleeding gash in Luna's left arm, before returning magnetically to its owners head. Luna raised her gunblade, when she came up with an idea. She smirked at the young male, beckoning rudely.  
  
"C'mon, you stupid unicorn freak! Fling that blade my way!"  
  
The Mesmerize became eraged at this egging and flung the blade with all its might. As it hurled at Luna she caught it with precision, ignoring the painful sting as it cut into her palm. She flung it hard back at the unsuspecting Mesmerize. The horn blade sliced through its neck, sending blood to spurt in every direction as the Mesmerize fell and convulsed, writhing in its own blood, then dying.  
  
Odine shuddered as he watched the Mesmerize slowly die. Nine years old, and capable of that? She ignored her arm wound and the fact that her palm was bleeding freely, but waited for the next monster.  
  
He hadn't thought it would come to Level 4.  
  
"R-release.ze Level 4 monster!!!"  
  
Luna watched as the monster thudded out into the arena. There was only one, but she would've been in trouble, had there been more. It was a giant dinosaur creature, blood red scales and black patterns, a battery ram tail, razor sharp claws and bonecrushing jaws. Thirty feet tall, fifty feet long, and a roar to deafen ears.  
  
"T-Rexaur!" Luna cried with morbid joy.  
  
She held out her hands and cast Thundaga. But the magic repelled off its scales and it lunged at her, swinging around and whacking her mightily with its massive tail.  
  
"Oh, Hyne!" Odine gasped.  
  
Luna saw stars. She soared across the arena and slammed hard into the white wall, leaving a streak of blood where she hit. She landed in a crumpled heap.  
  
"Luna! Luna, get up!"  
  
But she made no movement. The T-Rexaur was advancing, ready to claim its kill.  
  
BAM!  
  
The T-Rexaur staggered backward, as if it had run dead straight into an invisible wall. It swung its gigantic head back and forth to shake off the shock. It gave a grunt, confused. "Rrr?"  
  
Odine saw as the T-Rexaur staggered back that a dark purple-black aura had fallen over Luna's body like a protective bubble. Then, slowly, her body began to rise.  
  
But not of her own will.  
  
She was rising into the air slowly, her body limp. A slight humming filled the air as she rose, her torso slumped forward. Then her back straightened as if someone were pulling her up. Her face was covered in crimson blood from a wound hidden somewhere in her midnight hair.  
  
Her eyes opened and they were glowing blue and silver.  
  
"VILE CREATURE!" Luna bellowed, in a voice that was not her own, but deeper, fuller, older, and her own younger voice. Her arm raised the Hyperia and she soared forward at the T-Rexaur and slashed mercilessly into its tender throat over and over.  
  
Blood spilled and covered the once impeccable white floors in spreading puddles as the T-Rexaur's wounds gaped open wide. Luna kept going at the creature, slashing its face and eyes, then delivered the final blow as she plunged the Hyperia into the dinosaur's chest, and twisted the blade to pierce its heart.  
  
The T-Rexaur gave a final roar before dropping heavily to the ground, dead.  
  
Luna's eyes slowly dimmed back to their normal color, and the aura faded away. The hold on her loosened and she dropped to the ground, spread- eagled and seemingly unconcscious.  
  
Dr. Odine immediately took the elevator down to the training arena and ran in, followed by her assistants. What had he done, what had he done?! What if she was dead? What if he got arrested for murder? Oh, Hyne.  
  
"Luna? Luna?!! Vake up!"  
  
They surrounded her, checking her wounds. One assistant was about to check her pupils when her eyes opened, dazed but alive.  
  
"Luna, zay zomething! Are you okay?"  
  
She stared at him. "What happened?" She couldn't remember anything after seeing the T-Rexaur.  
  
"It vas amazing!" He told her all that happened, every detail. When he was finished she looked up at the ceiling and smirked darkly.  
  
"Sekhma."  
  
That night, Luna laid still in her bed. Her first day of training had taken a lot from her, but she would live to see another day. Actually it had been a breeze until the T-Rexaur. But she would get better. That is what training was about.  
  
There is always enough time in the waiting game, she thought cynically.  
  
Her wounds were still sore, but Dr. Odine said that he didn't want her using recovery spells until she regained her strength. Ha. Strength. She had strength. She closed her eyes, concentrating. "Curaga," she whispered.  
  
A soothing wave washed over her body, green sparks of magic hovering over the bed covers before melting into her.  
  
The wounds seemed to wash away, the bandages useless. She took them off, revealing tender pink parts of skin that would go away in a few hours.  
  
Ahh. That was better. She could move now, folding her arms under her head, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
A lot had changed since the orphanage. She had changed.Only a year ago she'd been so helpless and alone.but she quickly changed, adapted, survived. She had had to. Now she wasn't so helpless anymore. She was a sorceress in training, unafraid to kill.  
  
She'd been thinking of other things, too, besides the training and the sorcery and the tests. She thought about Seifer now, ever since Ellone had taken her into the past and she saw him a small boy, abused and lonely. (He was so nice to me, Luna realized. (I never would have known he had a past like that if Ellone hadn't shown me. I guess you never know until.until you know.)  
  
(No one knows about me. Because I haven't told them.)  
  
(They'll go on thinking I'm a overmature girl with an uncooperative attitude.)  
  
(Because they don't know.)  
  
(Seifer.you said we'd be best friends forever. No matter what. That I never needed to be sad again. I could be happy if I wanted to.)  
  
(But I don't want to be happy.)  
  
(But I'm not sad, either.)  
  
(I don't want to feel any of those emotions anymore.)  
  
(Emotions make you weak.)  
  
(To be weak is to be dead.)  
  
(That's what Maiem taught me.)  
  
(That's why I'm still here.)  
  
  
  
5 Years Later  
  
Luna, fourteen years old, stood in the middle of the empty arena, her gunblade raised. It was quiet, very quiet. It wouldn't be that way for long.  
  
"Level 30, Proceed!" Odine's cry came from above.  
  
The spacious arena was soon filled with the sound of roaring and stomping. A pack of twenty T-Rexaurs surrounded her instinctively, all of them ten times as strong as the one she had first faced.  
  
She pushed off from the ground, floating without magic but will of her own mind. She dodged between them swiftly, making them ram into each other and anger each other so they fought among themselves. One sent a devastating blow with its tail, but just then Luna swerved abruptly upward and the T- Rexaur hit another squarely in the head. They snarled at each other, then lunged for each other's throats.  
  
She rose up out of their range, spreading out her hands.  
  
Triple.  
  
A green pentagon surrounded her, then disappeared into her.  
  
Blizzaga.Blizzaga.BLIZZAGA!  
  
A swirl of ice spun around her, like a tornado of white, and then exploded upon the T-Rexaurs, who were weak against the ice element.  
  
BLIZZAGA BLIZZAGA BLIZZAGA!!!  
  
Odine whistled his approval as frost began to creep up the observing window. The icicle spears plunged into the bodies of the dinosaur monsters, killing them instantly. It was another Ice Age. Their fallen carcasses were soon covered with ice and snow as Luna continued her merciless barrage.  
  
Blizzaga Blizza-  
  
"Luna? Luna! You can stop, you killed zem all! Luna, snap out of it!"  
  
Luna stopped, opening her eyes. She saw the iced over T-Rexaurs and looked very satisfied indeed. She slowly descended to the snowy floor, a daring smirk on her face as she sheathed her gunblade. She hadn't even needed it this time. She hadn't a scratch on her.  
  
"Vell done again, Luna. Zat's a record, ya?" he opened the door for Luna to leave. She was done for today.  
  
She saw the door open and grimaced in disappointment. "Oh, come on, Doctor Odine. One more level, I can handle it."  
  
"You don't understand, Luna.zat's it. Zose are all ze monsters ve had left. You'll haff to vait for ze next shipment next veek."  
  
"Next week?" Luna frowned. This had happened before, and everytime she went that long without training her skills got dull. "It'll take that long?"  
  
"Yeah, I know, it'z ridiculous. But zese days.eesh. Come on out and vash up."  
  
"Oh fine." She walked out of there and let the doors close behind her. "Aren't there monsters on the surface, Dr. Odine?"  
  
He stepped out of the observing room. "Of course zere are monsters on ze surface, Luna. Vere do you zink zey come from?"  
  
"Why can't I train up there. I'm sure they're twice as powerful up there, deep in the forests where no one goes. If I could get that kind of training in, I'd be really powerful.  
  
"Luna.you're a sorceress. You just viped out an entire pack of Z-Rexaurs. You don't get much more powerful zan zat."  
  
Luna thought a moment. "What about other people?"  
  
"Vat?"  
  
"Maybe I should train with other people. People actually think about their attacks. They defend. And Doctor, I don't think I'm getting enough training with my gunblade. All you ever let me do is magic."  
  
"Because you are a sorceress! Sorceresses do not uze gunblades. You are very good at it, but paramagic vill come in much more handy later on."  
  
"Will it?"  
  
Odine sighed. "Luna.I need to talk to you. Come vith me so ve can talk privately in my office."  
  
In his office, he sat down in his chair, his face grave. "Luna.I vas informed zis morning that Adel has been overthrown. Zey've tricked her and locked her in a confinement tomb and sent her up into space, so zere iz no vay to receive her power."  
  
"And this is bad?"  
  
".Eh, not really. But you cannot receive her power, so you vill not be as strong as ve expected. But ve haff been zinking, as scientists do." He looked at her. "Haff you ever heard of Mako?"  
  
".Yes. I read about it. It was used twenty years ago, but they stopped making it because it was poisoning the SOLDIERS. Why?"  
  
"Ve haff procured a small sample of it from an abandoned lab up in the mountains of Trabia. It haz been vell preserved and even a little bit of it is powerful. Ve are going to inject you with zis Mako and zee if ve can't, eh.buff you up a little. It is only a little, so it shouldn't hurt you at all.at least ve zink so. But eh, zere's no harm in trying, eh?"  
  
"So I have no choice, you mean."  
  
Odine's face became hard. "No.you don't. You've forgotten, Luna.you are a sorceress, ya, but you are still _my_ experiment. My project. My lab rat. So you vill do as I tell you, as you've been doing for ze past five years."  
  
Luna shot up from her chair, her face contorted in rage. She had pulled her punches from this man for five years, humoring his little experiments, but this was crazy. Mako was dangerous toxic fluid, no matter how you put it. She wasn't going to die for his science.  
  
Dr. Odine only gave her a smug look as she rose angrily, as if knowing she would. Suddenly the sharp sting of a needle injected into her neck, filling her immediately with drowsiness. The last thing she remembered was falling onto Odine's desk, then darkness. ~~~~~~  
  
Ellone stood at the bow of a ship, staring out at the calm waters. She was fifteen now, and she'd changed greatly in appearance but she was still the same old Ellone. She looked depressed.  
  
"Luna.where are you? You promised me we'd escape together. You said you were my best friend. But why did you break your promise?" She shook her head. "No. You helped me escape. But you traded your own freedom.for mine?" She closed her eyes briefly. "Please come back, Luna. I'll still be your friend." ~~~~~~  
  
(Ellone.I'm still your friend.)  
  
(I don't know who I am.)  
  
(I don't know where you are, to find you.)  
  
(I don't know where I am.)  
  
(Huh? Where am I?)  
  
Luna opened her eyes to a slit. Her sensitive eyes touched water. She opened them all the way, and saw where she was.  
  
It was a glass tube. Large enough for her, she floated in the watery blue substance, fresh oxygen coming in through an air hose attached to her nose and mouth. Her stiff limbs were riddled with IVs and wires, and one especially large one connected to her wrist, which she estimated that it was the one for the Mako injection.  
  
Outside the tube, there was a large lab. Many doctors and scientists were bustling around, typing in computers and taking notes. Some stood right up to the glass, watching her and watching the monitors for her vitals.  
  
How's her vital signs?  
  
Fine, just fine.  
  
Good-hey, wait. Is she awake?  
  
Yeah. But don't worry about it. We've got her blood pressure nice and low. She won't be able to move or anything.  
  
Good. Now we wait for Odine's orders. Odine's orders?! Bastards!!! Luna's teeth gritted, but the effort of anger hurt. They were right, she couldn't move. Her body felt numb, sluggish. She felt like sleeping again, but she knew she couldn't afford to. She had to do something, anything.  
  
She saw Odine come in, and near the watery prison. He came right up to the glass, smirking at her proudly. She glared at him, cursing through the air mask. But all Odine saw was bubbles.  
  
Don't be angry, little Luna. Zis iz vat iz best for you.  
  
Luna closed her eyes in seeming defeat.  
  
Prepare ze Mako injection!  
  
But Luna hadn't given up. No. She was letting her anger rise, letting it surge her blood to get it moving again.  
  
Thump.thump.thump.thump.  
  
Odine! Heartless scientist. Using children as lab rats! Sending them through mazes and tests and experiments, for what? To find the perfect sorceress? His perfect toy?  
  
Thump-thump.thump-thump.thump-thump.  
  
Ahh, the feeling in her fingers were returning! She grinned behind the mask, flexing her fingers tentatively. Those men outside were confused at the sudden movement, the sudden life of their monitors.  
  
What the hell.?!  
  
This isn't good. Get the Doctor again!  
  
Pump in more morphine!  
  
Luna watched as the drunkening serum flowed through thin tubes to her right arm. With a laugh she grabbed the tubes and with one swift movement ripped them out of her arm, ignoring the pain. Traces of morphine and blood filtered through the water.  
  
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.  
  
Her heart was racing swiftly, her blood shooting through her veins. She pulled out the remainder of the sensory wires and IV's, including the thick Mako tube.  
  
Dr. Odine was back, now panicked. He banged on the glass.  
  
NO! NO! VAT ZE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!  
  
(Shut up!)  
  
He was suddenly thrown backward by invisible force, as if someone had roughly shoved him. As his assistants helped him up, he noticed that the many instruments and test tubes and beakers around them on the lab desks were shaking and clinking with a will of their own. The lights were dimming and fizzing out.  
  
(Your day of fate, Odine!)  
  
Simultaneously the entire lab exploded in shards of glass and sparks. Fire erupted from the spilled chemicals, and the doctor assistants ran for the door, some on fire and screaming.  
  
NO! Get back, here, you idiots! Luna, stop! You are ruining everyzing!  
  
Luna concentrated on a small crack in the heavy glass of her prison. It was a small, insignificant crack, made when Odine had pounded against it. She took a deep breath and ripped off the air mask, concentrating on the crack.make it splinter, make it web.yes.yes!...it was growing.  
  
Crrrrrrraaaaaassssssshhhhhh!!!!!  
  
The tube exploded and fluid went flying everywhere carrying small daggers of glass. The water flooded the floor, extinguishing the floor around the broken tube. But Luna floated still in the air, the flames of the lab illuminating her pale, grinning features. Yes, she was grinning. Insanely she was grinning. Odine backed up, knowing that he had made a terrible, horrible error in ever taking her from that cursed orphanage in Centra. In ever laying eyes on her. In training her, making her the most powerful warrior-the first warrior-procured by pure science. Teaching her to fight, to draw blood, to kill. That had been his worst mistake.  
  
"What was that, Doctor? I'm.ruining everything?" she descended to the floor, making her way slowly towards him. "But my dear Doctor, that is the point. Don't you see?" Dr. Odine backed away, slipping in a puddle and falling backwards into a desk. He began to crawl backward then, though never leaving eye contact of Luna. She wouldn't let him look away.  
  
"P-please, Luna.after all I've done for you."  
  
"Me? No no no NO, Doctor. You've done this for yourself. For your science. I was just your experiment. Your project. Your lab rat. Well, Dr. Odine, your experiment was a complete success. Are you satisfied with what your experimenting with other people's lives has brought you?"  
  
He staggered to his feet and ran for the door. But before he could make it, Luna rose her hands into the air and with them, using her mind, a large desk. She flung it at the doctor, and it pinned him to the wall, its legs driving into the wall to keep him there.  
  
"You see, Odine, I think I should fill you in on something," she began to talk casually, stepping over broken beakers and other debris to get to him. "I've had this preordained from the very beginning. You were right, I wanted power and control. But did you really think I was going to give it all to you? Did you really believe I was going to let you bridle my power and show it off to all your colleagues and patrons? I think not! Didn't you consider for a second that maybe one day I would do this?"  
  
"I know now," he grunted, trying to move.  
  
"Now is too late." Luna came forward and grasped him firmly by the neck, draing the life out of him. "Say goodbye, doctor. If you have the breath- "  
  
Suddenly Luna gasped as something constricted tightly around her own neck, pulling her backward. She choked, it was cutting off her air and her ability to do magic.she fell to the ground, staring up at them, paralyzed again.  
  
"Are you okay, doctor?" A skinny assistant with thick glasses asked, pulling the desk out of the wall and helping Odine out.  
  
"Could be better. Zank you so much! Vat did you put on her, anyvay?"  
  
"Oh! It's an invention I've been working on, sir.I was gonna show it to you before but then we got busy-it's meant to suppress sorceress powers."  
  
"Brilliant! Vell, it vorked! Hmm, ve should call it an Odine's Bangle, eh?" "Eh.that's sounds okay, sir." "Good, good. Now help me get her to ze sub."  
  
"Why, Doctor Odine?"  
  
"She iz too powerful now. Ve must bring her to ze Sorceress Memorial to be confined."  
  
Luna watched as she was carried out of the sub and into the memorial. She couldn't move or do anything, like she was a soul trapped within a statue. The bangle on her neck was keeping her from moving, even her raging anger could not break through it.  
  
She glanced at all the others they passed as they went deeper into the Memorial. Sorceresses everywhere, in confinement tanks of crystallized substance, frozen in their final moments of animate life. Old women, young women.even children.  
  
And soon she would join the collection.  
  
They placed her in the tank, standing up. Her legs were stiff like they had rigor mortis and the rest of her body was the same, so they just stood her up and crossed her arms over her chest like an Egyptian sarcophagus.  
  
"Sorceress Luna. Descendant of Hyne. We hereby confine thee to the world of peaceless sleep, where thou can harm nothing. Have you any last words?" a man said to her.  
  
Luna swallowed. She had to tell them. Forcing the words through her frozen teeth, she said:  
  
"My.name.is.not.Luna.not.Luna."  
  
"What? What do you mean, that is not your name?"  
  
"Luna.just.a cover.Luna.not my name."  
  
"Then what is it?" the man asked curiously.  
  
"My.name.is.Athena. Sorceress.Athena."  
  
"Just pull ze frickin' svitch!" Odine shouted.  
  
"Daughter.of."  
  
"NOW! DO IT NOW!" he ordered the man. "She iz insane!"  
  
"Ultim-"  
  
He pulled the switch. The tank filled with icy air, which soon turned solid around her. Her throat froze up and she spoke no more. Her eyes were open when the air crystallized around her, her bluesilver irises staring hauntingly into Odine's. After watching her for a few moments, they walked away and left her alone.  
  
She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. It was like drowning. Was this death? She felt her lungs freeze with her last breath, her heart stop. She felt tired, so tired, she cared nothing for the outside.she just wanted to sleep forever.  
  
Athena slept, forgotten deep in the Sorceress Memorial.  
  
(Maiem.)  
  
A/N: HOW WAS THAT, HUH?! 30 frickin pages here in Word, in a font 12 Verdana, 9, 931 words. Eep. Please, if you're not too annoyed with the devastatingly long prologue, please go on to chapter one! Thanx! 


	2. The Awakening

Songfic Alert! Liberi Fatali, in the English Version translated by Nora Heath. If you want to find the lyrics to this song in both languages, check out www.ffmusiconline.com and go to the FF8 column. On with the show! Disclaimer: Oh Yeah, forgot this in Prologue.these people don't belong to me, they belong to Squaresoft.sniff.I wish Seifer were mine. Rated R for violence and language and graphic scenes. Genre: Angst/Romance/Supernatural  
  
Chapter One: The Awakening  
  
Ellone walked through the cold halls of the Sorceress Memorial. It was like walking through a morgue. But she had been asked to, by Uncle Laguna, President of Esthar, to inspect the place before it was condemned. Since Ultimecia had been defeated, there was no reason to keep confining sorceresses. Laguna wanted the place closed down.  
  
She walked deeper into its corridors, into its halls of numerous women and little girls, most of them innocent, forever condemned for what they had been. It was sickening.  
  
Finally she came to one tomb. The crystal tank was covered in dust and so was its identification plaque. Curious, Ellone brushed away the dust of the plaque and read the name.  
  
SORCERESS LUNA-AGE 14 AT TIME OF CONFINING  
  
"Oh! Oh no." She took her scarf and reached up to the tank surface. Sure enough, she saw-midnight black hair, marble white face, bluesilver eyes open and staring. She looked away, not able to bear anymore of it.  
  
"Miss Ellone, are you alright?" an accompanying Esthar shoulder asked concernedly.  
  
".I.I'm fine," Ellone replied softly, her hands up against the tank glass but her eyes to the floor. "This woman was a dear friend of mine. Do you think she would be.?"  
  
"I'm not sure, miss. If you like, we could try and get her out of there and check for life signs. But I must warn you.she may indeed be dead."  
  
"But could you check? Would you, please?"  
  
"Of course, miss. I'll go get backup." He ran off.  
  
Ellone sighed, unable to bring herself to looking at that poor lifeless face. "Now I understand why you couldn't keep your promise, Luna. I understand."  
  
She walked away from her best friend's tomb reluctantly as she heard someone calling her in the other hallway.  
  
Edea gazed out upon the flower fields. The threat to the world was gone; the night skies of Centra were filled with peace as the full opal moon shone down with subtle radiance, set in the tiny diamonds that were stars. Everything was right again.  
  
Well.not everything.  
  
She still remembered that fateful day when Ellone and Luna had been snatched away from her. She later learned that Esthar had known nothing about Odine's doings, and that when Ellone had escaped, the poor darling, Luna had been smuggled into a secret laboratory to further experiments, for they had found her inner powers. She had been informed also that though he claimed to his colleagues that he was trying to create the perfect successor for Adel, he was actually trying to turn Luna into the perfect warrior, a prototype for a potential race of warriors for the Esthar army. An army of bloodthirsty, mind reading, telepathic sorceresses and sorcerers that would wipe out any enemy. But Luna had proved to be much too strong and turned on Odine. She had been, with difficulty, restrained and stowed away forever in the Sorceress Memorial.  
  
She was the only one who knew.  
  
(Poor Luna. How long will you sleep, my dear?) She thought sadly. (Or are you beyond the point of waking? Luna.)  
  
Edea felt a sudden jolt. It was not painful, just a twitch that ran through her fingertips, into her arms, vibrating throughout her entire body. Then she felt a presence, as if someone were standing right beside her but invisible. She looked up at the moon, noticing that it was brighter than a moment before.  
  
::Fithos.Lusec.Wecos.Vinosec.::  
  
She nodded to herself, smiling softly. It was time.  
  
::Fithos.Lusec.Wecos.Vinosec. Fithos.Lusec.Wecos.Vinosec. Fithos.Lusec.Wecos.Vinosec.::  
  
In the Sorceress Memorial, Athena stood in her last living pose, as she had stood for five years. Her arms crossed over her chest, she stared blankly into nothing. But she was not dead. Far from dead. Only sleeping. Only dreaming.  
  
It was time to awaken.  
  
::Wake from your sleep, my children, Your childhood years are gone::  
  
Her eyes were vacant, staring, and dead. The bluesilver irises were like cracked ice, the pupils frozen, and large.  
  
But then the pupils grew small, and the darkly lashed lids lowered closed. The palms that lay open on her shoulders balled into soft fists.  
  
::Wake from your sleep, Children of Fate, Your rest is gone::  
  
SMASH!  
  
The crystallized tank exploded into shards away from the raven haired woman, freeing her completely. She opened her eyes and looked around with a vague wonder, then smirked, her eyes flashing malevolently. She lowered her hands, leaping down from the platform.  
  
::Arise.Search::  
  
Athena looked about her again. Ah, yes. The memorial. She raised her hand and ripped away the bangle on her neck, flinging it away like a useless piece of trash. She looked at herself incredulously. She was.tall. Six feet, at least. Her hair was longer, down to her waist. She was fully shaped, uncomfortable in her childhood clothing. But how had she awoken? Seifer.her inner voice told her. Seifer was the reason.  
  
::Come to the true garden The garden of spring's truth::  
  
She held out her hand again, concentrating. Out of nowhere her Hyperia formed in her hand, as if it had always been there. She grinned as she gave it a test swipe. It was still perfect as ever.  
  
Athena heard a stuttering gasp and looked up from her blade. A few Esthar soldiers stood feet away, a look of shock on their faces at the revived sorceress. She smirked rudely and blinked at them, pointing at them her Hyperia.  
  
"Looking for me?" she taunted, surprised by her own voice. It was deeper, fuller than before.  
  
They screamed in fright, running away. She stretched her stiff limbs. Then, she marched forward through the hall. Athena knew where she had to go.  
  
Seifer was at the Garden. She had to go to Seifer.  
  
Why?  
  
Because he was in need.  
  
::With fiery truth, burn the evils of this world With fiery truth, light the darkness of the world::  
  
She marched, her gunblade raised. It was instinct. Just like when the soldiers came back with more soldiers, trying to stop her, and she lunged at them and slew them all. That was instinct too.  
  
She walked without a sound to the exit of her prison, smelling the fresh air and began to run, craving the oxygen that was once again passing through her lungs.  
  
"Wait! Stop!"  
  
She heard a familiar voice behind her. Ellone.? She wanted to head back to her, but her feet forced her forward to the door. She ran at breakneck speed out the exit, ignoring the pleading voice behind her.  
  
"Luna, wait! Stop! Come back!" She allowed herself one glance back before leaping into the darkness of the night. Ellone was running after her, but stumbled and fell on her dress.  
  
::Farewell, children::  
  
Going through the exit, she encountered three more soldiers bearing weapons. Hyperia was out in a second, and in sheer moments all three soldiers had fallen at its wrath.  
  
::From the day of Fate::  
  
But from the surrounding darkness sprang many more soldiers, bodyguards of Ellone. They circled around Athena, bearing their swords cautiously.  
  
Athena looked around. This was ridiculous. She wanted no more bloodshed, knowing that they were only protecting Ellone from danger, but they weren't giving her a chance to escape. Ellone stood outside the ring of soldiers, her face anxious.  
  
"Luna.it's all right. We're not going to hurt you."  
  
Athena looked around, seeing no chance of escape, feeling the need to trust her friend and set down her blade. But then she snarled in frustration, distrust and self-loathing filling her eyes.  
  
"My name is Athena!!! Athena, you hear me!?" she shouted, swiping her gunblade angrily. This was a bad move, for the soldiers saw it as a motion to attack the young woman and lunged forward.  
  
::Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec:: ::Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec::  
  
"No! DON'T!!!" Ellone cried at the soldiers.  
  
::Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec:: ::Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec::  
  
Athena closed her eyes and crossed her arms, as if about to protect herself. But suddenly a bright blinding light filled the eyes of the soldiers and Ellone, a strong wind kicking up around them.  
  
Suddenly the light was gone. And so was Athena.  
  
A/N: I know, it sucked.all my fics suck. But please be nice, please? Thanx! Review, please! Please! 


	3. Fallen Knight, Don't Pick A Fight

A/N: I'd like to bring to everyone's attention that I'm running a little poll just for fun. When (and if) you review this chapter and the next three chapters, I want to know who YOU think is the hottest guy or hottest girl in Final Fantasy 8, plus who you think is the best couple. The reason for this(besides the fun) is I want to find out who everybody likes the most so I can put them as main characters in my next fic. Maybe then I won't suck at writing as much as I do now. Please R/R! (Oh yeah.if anybody cares.I think the hottest guys in FF8 are Seifer and Laguna.and Queifers rock.that is my opinion.)  
  
Chapter Two: Fallen Knight  
  
It was late. Seifer Almasy wandered around the Training Center aimlessly. He was weak. Tired. And he didn't give the slightest fuck about it.  
  
It had been a few weeks since it all happened. He'd been rather reluctantly let back into Garden, only because Matron had pleaded her husband to let him stay. No one believed he'd been possessed. Now he was back, and in hell. No one respected him anymore. Fujin and Raijin, the so- called posse, had stopped talking to him. And so he spent pretty much all his time in the Center, hiding from everyone.  
  
There was a rustle in the bushes ahead of him. Thinking it was a Grat, Seifer made a subtle step forward.  
  
Several pairs of arms, which threw him to the ground and grabbed away the Hyperion, grabbed him from behind suddenly. He hit the ground on his back, and then the rough hands dragged him up and wrenched his arms behind his back so he couldn't move.  
  
It was a gang of students, all dressed in their candidate uniforms. He'd seen them around before, and he knew they liked to pick on the other younger students. Their leader, Greg, stood before him, while Josh and Brendan held him back.  
  
"Hey there, scum," he spat in Seifer's face, grabbing the collar of his blue vest. "Having a nice walk?"  
  
Seifer snarled at him, eyes glaring daggers at the younger boy. "What the fuck do you want? Leave me alone."  
  
"Payback," he answered with a rude smirk, but his face became dark with rage. "My father got killed because of your fucking knighthood, you stupid motherfucker. My father _and_ my sister. They got blown up when YOU bombed Trabia. What do you got to say to that, huh? HUH?!"  
  
"I.I'm sorry."  
  
"SORRY AIN'T GONNA CUT IT, YOU FUCKING PRICK!" he shouted into Seifer's face. "What are you, fucking retarded? Did that fucking sorceress whore bitch suck out your brains?! You think 'sorry' is gonna bring my dad and sis back? No fucking chance, asshole!"  
  
"And killing me will?" he breathed under the pain of his arms being twisted around his back.  
  
"Oh, no. I'm not lettin' you off that easy, man. You ain't gonna die. You're gonna suffer. I'm gonna whip your ass, knight boy. You're gonna be in fuckin' traction for the rest of your fucking life by the time I'm finished with you!"  
  
"It.wasn't my fault."  
  
"Fuck that bullshit! We all know you did all that crap willingly. We're not stupid enough to believe that you were fuckin' possessed or any of that shit." Greg balled his fist and punched Seifer hard in his stomach, over and over. Seifer gasped in pain, the air knocked out of him. He felt his ribs cracking and moaned as he was thrown down by the other two. Greg was on him instantly, slamming his fists into Seifer's face as Josh and Brendan held Seifer's arms down.  
  
But they didn't have to. Seifer continued to take the beating, feeling himself bleed and ache. He deserved this, he knew. If he died right now, it wouldn't matter. Because it would be better than this life he was fated to live.  
  
".That's enough, I believe. Give someone else a chance."  
  
The voice came from the darkness beyond, but it caught Greg's ear and he looked up. It was a deep, luring female voice that seemed to entrance all three young men into forgetting their victim. Greg stood up and called out to her.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
Seifer rolled painfully over onto his stomach and looked ahead at the young woman that stepped out of the shadows. She was very tall, and slender. She was dressed all in black, a long sleeved turtleneck and tight leggings, boots. Her ruby lips were turned upward in a curious smirk, a gunblade hanging at her waist. She stepped out slowly into the light, eyeing the scene with an unreadable expression.  
  
Greg raised his eyebrows and whistled his enthusiasm. "Ooh.who might you be?"  
  
"I don't think that's any of your business, little boy. Run along and leave the knight to me."  
  
He chuckled. "What, him? Whatever." He moved closer to the woman, touching her cheek, forgetting Seifer's writhing body on the ground. "I'm not such a little boy, though. Want me to show you what I mean, my little pretty-"  
  
The woman grabbed the outstretched arm and in one swift motion twisted it until they all heard a sickening crack. Greg sank to his knees in pain, his arm limp at his side as he clutched it, screaming. Then the woman reached down and yanked him up again by his broken arm, and with no hesitation kicked him mercilessly in the groin.  
  
"Aaaagh!" He cried out in a high pitched voice, staggering away. "My ARM! You broke my fucking arm, you crazy BITCH! Aaaagh!"  
  
Josh and Brendan exchanged anxious glances and ran for it. Greg followed soon behind, limping and clutching at his arm.  
  
Seifer lay there, wounded, and too exhausted from his beating to rise, staring at the woman fearfully. She advanced slowly toward him, eyeing him with the same subtle curiosity as before. He shut his eyes tight, waiting for pain.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
He opened his eyes again, confused. She had knelt down beside him, her face showing no concern but analyzing his wounds.  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"Are you all right? Can you stand?" She repeated tonelessly.  
  
".Yeah. I think." Seifer sat up, groaning at the pain of his broken ribs. The woman grasped his gloved hand firmly and pulled him up with amazing strength. He stumbled under his own weight, and the woman grasped him by both shoulders.  
  
She seemed his age in body, but it was as if someone older lived within the youthful shell. A closer look at her revealed her porcelain white face, smooth and sharp, and large vivid blue eyes flecked with shards of pure silver, lined by dark lashes. Seifer blinked. The light did not seem to touch her skin, as if she were a sliver of darkness.  
  
"Drink this." With one hand still holding him up, the other reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial of green fluid. He warily drank it. It had no taste, but instantly he felt his strength returning to him, his bones mending and his bruises fading away into fair skin. He backed away, standing on his own.  
  
"Thank you," he said, but still suspicious.  
  
She ignored his thanks, as if she did not want it. "You are.Seifer Almasy?" he voice had a slight accent he couldn't quite place.  
  
"Yeah.unfortunately," he grumbled. "Why, you wanna beat me up too? Have at it."  
  
She gave him a look. "If I wanted to do that, I wouldn't have healed you."  
  
Seifer looked into her eyes. There was no emotion there, except for indifference. She looked so familiar, a tingle running up his spine, though he was sure they had never met before. Something about her scared him, too, the savage look about her and the way she looked at him.  
  
"Who are you, anyway?" He asked.  
  
"She gave him another look, but not an annoyed one. "My name is Athena." She broke the gaze and walked past him, adding musingly, "I advise you not to prowl about in places like this by yourself. It obviously isn't safe for someone like you."  
  
Seifer grimaced. Was that an insult?! "You wanna fight? C'mon, let's go!"  
  
She paused in her stride, turning her head to the side. "Oh, believe me. I'm one person you don't want to pick a fight with." And she kept walking until she was gone.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Seifer lay in bed later that night, his eyes closed though he wasn't sleeping. He never really slept anymore. He was afraid to sleep. His nightmares always plagued him whenever he slept. It was better, to just lie awake and be tired forever-the nightmares wouldn't get him then.  
  
Sometimes Ultimecia would come to him in his dreams. She cursed him for failing, for killing her. For being a little boy when it was time to be a man. And sometimes he dreamt about the time compression.traveling endlessly over the deserts, the cracked earth, searching for life-only to find death, and desolation.but he would always wake up and it wouldn't be real. Although, just knowing that once it had in fact been real.that it had once been a part of his life, was enough to keep him awake at night.  
  
His nerves jumped when he heard a scratching at the window. He jolted up in bed, trying to reach for a gunblade that wasn't there. He stood, his fists raised at the intruder, who he immediately and irrationally thought to be Ultimecia.  
  
"Meow."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
It was a cat, scratching at the window to try and get inside. It was a small orange and white tabby, with large emerald eyes that sparkled in the moonlight. It pawed at the window with a white tipped paw, mewling curiously.  
  
"Meow."  
  
Seifer sighed in frustration. "Stupid.get outta here, you stupid cat! Scram!"  
  
It hissed at his angry tone, baring its slim white jaws at him. Sulkily it slipped out of vision, walking on the windowsill.  
  
The handsome blond sighed again. This was getting ridiculous, he knew. He was afraid of a stupid stray cat? He removed his trenchcoat, flinging it onto the nearby chair. Underneath he wore a blue, white crossed vest, his slim but muscled arms bare. He quietly unzipped the vest too, revealing his well toned chest. Taking off his boots and socks but leaving his pants on, he lay back down in bed and tried to relax. Ultimecia was dead. There was no bringing her back, and he was safe. It was all over, and she could never hurt him ever again. Somewhat reassured, he closed his eyelids and drifted away into sleep, swearing himself never to worry about the dead sorceress ever again. ~~~~~~  
  
"Mrrrow?"  
  
Athena opened her eyes at the noise. There was a cat sitting on the open window, staring in with large green eyes.  
  
She got up and welcomed the cat into the room without a word, picking it up and cradling it gently in her arms. "What are _you_ doing out so late at night, little kitten?" she asked, rubbing softly behind its ears as it purred.  
  
Athena went over to the small fridge that each candidate was allowed and took out a container of milk. She poured some into a saucer and set it down on the floor, watching as the stray gratefully lapped it up. She laid back down on her bed, closing her eyes and expecting the cat to leave as soon as it was finished. It had been quite easy to enlist in the Garden.they saw her gunblade and immediately approved. They had said that they were running short on gunblade specialists in SeeD. The only ones were the commander and a certain wanna-be knight.  
  
She couldn't believe she was here. It had only been hours before that she had been frozen, practically dead and condemned from life. Now.why had she awoken? Something had called to her, a soundless voice.calling her name, bringing her up from the subconscious depths from which she had sunk. But they hadn't shut her out completely over the years. Her sleep had indeed been peaceless, but certainly not dreamless. She had been able to channel into the present, watching as people went about their lives. Watching Squall and his comrades save the world. Watching them as they killed Sorceress Ultimecia.  
  
And not for the first time, either.  
  
She had seen Ellone, too, coming up to her tank. Reading the label, gasping in horror. Brushing away the dust, her eyes filling with tears. And then she walked away.  
  
Athena would have to stay away from Ellone, for the time being. She couldn't face her now. Not after what had happened at the Memorial. But, even she admitted, she had to turn to someone who remembered her. Someone she could trust, who would keep her secret. Not Seifer.he didn't remember her, from the effects of the Guardian Forces. She wanted to keep it that way. Not Odine, she'd kill him if she saw him again and she had a feeling he knew that.  
  
Matron.?  
  
Would Matron remember her? Most probably.Athena had never grown as attached to her as the other children had, but still.Matron had taken her in that night, so long ago.  
  
Athena was broken from her thoughts as a small weight dropped onto the bed beside her. She looked up to see the stray cat, lying at her side, purring as she licked her white paws.  
  
"I suppose you like it here?" Athena whispered, stroking her back gently. "You can stay. I could use some company for the lonely days ahead of me. Do you have a name?"  
  
"Mrrow."  
  
"I will call you Sekhma," she decided. "You look a lot like her. A little lioness. Well, Sekhma, what do you suppose? Should I go to Matron?"  
  
"Meow."  
  
"Alright." Athena rose from her bed and locked the door tightly, to make sure no one would come in. Then, closing her eyes, she thought of the stone house by the sea. The stone house with the large garden, the tall white pillars and the lighthouse not far away.the place where she had been sent.  
  
Athena's figure faded away into the darkness, she was no longer there.  
  
She felt a slight breeze run across her face, through her hair. A brief moment of feeling weightless, and nonexistent. Then, her feet touched the ground again.  
  
When she opened her eyes again she was no longer in her room. She was on a small dirt path. The path led to a front step, the front step of the orphanage.  
  
She stepped forward, feeling tingles of familiarity running through her. The place was in ruin, and it looked like reconstruction was being done.but she knew Edea was here. She could feel her presence.  
  
Athena walked up to the door, and knocked timidly. She knew it was late, but then again, it had been late on the night she was sent here.  
  
Sure enough, moments later, the door opened. Matron peered out into the darkness, and her eyes widened considerably. She lost her grasp on the door, which creaked open the rest of the way as she stood and stared at the tall, dark figure standing in front of her.  
  
Neither spoke for long moments. They just stared. Matron was the first to break the silence, her voice weak with emotion. "So.I was right. You've returned, Luna."  
  
Athena nodded. "Yes."  
  
Matron's hand went to her chest, making a stuttered noise of relief and shock. Then she came forward, embracing her as if she were her own daughter.  
  
"I knew you would!" she cried. "My little Luna."  
  
Athena stood still in her arms, the warmth of Matron's embrace unfelt by her heart. It was foreign, confusing. She gently pulled away.  
  
"Matron.I need to talk to you."  
  
"Yes, yes I know! We need to talk about a lot of things. Come in, Luna. Please, come inside."  
  
Matron seated her on the couch and sat down beside her, clutching at her hand. "You don't know how sad I was when I heard what happened to you, Luna. I swear, if I'd known those men were to do what they did, I never would have let you or Elle go."  
  
"It is alright, Matron. Really. But.my name is not Luna. It is Athena."  
  
"Oh." She looked at her. "So it is true."  
  
"Yes." Athena's tone was grave. "I am Ultimecia's daughter."  
  
"I had a feeling you were. You look so much like her. And you act like she did. But her heart was filled with rage, Athena. Hatred, anger and fear. You are different, darling. You have a calm soul, I know it."  
  
"I used to." Athena pulled her hand from Edea's grasp. "But now I have changed. I am no longer Luna. I really never was. But unlike my mother, I have no fear." Athena looked up at the older woman. "I've joined your Garden, Matron. I hope you do not mind."  
  
"Mind? Why darling I'm so proud! But.why?"  
  
"I.there is something I must do." Athena stared emotionlessly into the night, her bluesilver eyes glittering strangely. "Something I should have done sooner."  
  
"What is that?" Edea asked, and slowly, her face drew into fear as she realized. "Oh, no! Don't hurt Seifer, please Athena! He's not to blame for what happened!"  
  
Athena looked at her again, shaking her head. "No. I'm not going to hurt him. I.can't. But.I have to do something. I have a debt to repay.I have to go." She stood up. "I just wanted to tell you I am at your Garden. I hope you will not tell anyone I was here. Ellone and Odine might be looking for me."  
  
"Oh, I won't tell a soul. But Athena, be careful. And please don't blame Seifer for what happened. It wasn't his fault."  
  
Athena said nothing to this, but there was a somber glint in her eyes that made Edea uncomfortable. "I must go. Good bye, Matron." Athena closed her eyes and faded away into the air like a ghost.  
  
"Goodbye, Athena," Matron whispered into the darkness.  
  
A/N: Whaddya think about that, huh? Daughter of the most evil sorceress from the future. But wait, it gets better! And everyone, read Sorena's Dream by Kali Randone and They Called Me Angel by Heaven Lee aka blueberry. You won't be disappointed! See ya! 


	4. Vicious Lioness, Fight The Hyperion Knig...

Tears Of The Lioness  
  
Chapter Three: Vicious Lioness, Fight the Hyperion Knight A/N: I warnin' you, Athena is really rough.please R/R! And Kali Randone, I know you think it's gruesome.but I like it that way! Hahahaha!  
  
Seifer awoke that morning; feeling refreshed from the Potions Athena had given to him last night. He felt a bit stronger today too.  
  
Strangely no dreams had plagued him in his sleep, and for once he finally felt that it was over. Daring to smile to himself, he went into the bathroom and took a shower, washing away all the tension that remained.  
  
He stepped out of the shower stall and wrapped a towel around his waist. Going to the sink, he wiped the fog off the mirror and checked his face. His bruises and cuts were gone from his silky smooth face, though he was still pale. A day training in the sun would take care of that, he thought.  
  
His heart stopped as he saw another face in the mirror, a slender, dark figure standing right behind him by the bathroom door. It was that girl, Athena, and she was staring at him in the mirror.  
  
"What the hell--?!" He spun around, angry at the woman for coming in. But Athena was not there anymore, as if she never had been, and he looked into the mirror and she had vanished from there, too. He took a deep breath, thoroughly confused and a bit frightened. He ran out into his bedroom to see if he was there. She was not, and his door and window were both tightly locked. But he swore she'd been standing right there.  
  
He grimaced. He hadn't been seeing things. She'd been right there! He got dressed, pulling on a fresh pair of blue pants and a new white crossed vest. He was partial to the style. He pulled on his gray trenchcoat with the red bloodcrosses, his black boots. He took Hyperion from out of its case, and oiled and polished it for the day of training. *****  
  
Athena laid out a fresh saucer of milk for Sekhma to drink while she was gone, leaving the window open so she could roam. She had taken a strange fondness to the cat; it was strange because she had never taken a liking to anyone or anything so quickly. She sheathed her Hyperia and left her dorm for a day of training.  
  
She was walking down the hallway when she saw Seifer advancing towards her, looking angry. Her fingers instinctively itched to touch her gunblade, but she kept the urge suppressed.  
  
"What do you want, Seifer Almasy?" she asked calmly.  
  
"How about some privacy?" he growled. "You think it's funny to walk into people's bathrooms and scare the living hell out of them?"  
  
She frowned. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Don't play stupid. I saw you in my mirror this morning. And you ran out before I turned around."  
  
"I assure you, I was no where near your bathroom," Athena replied icily, giving him a look. "I don't even know where your dormitory is."  
  
"I don't believe you," he said stubbornly.  
  
"Would you believe my gunblade?" she demanded, itching to get into a fight. "How about it, Hyperion Knight? You and me. Right here, right now. Or.are you afraid?"  
  
"Afraid? I'm not afraid of anything!" he protested angrily.  
  
"We'll soon see, Knight!" she retorted back.  
  
Seifer pulled out his Hyperion, and she her Hyperia. Simultaneously they lunged at each other, like two lions fighting for a scrap of meat, right there in the hallway by the dormitories.  
  
Their gunblades clashed, sending sparks flying into the air. They clashed again and again, Seifer being beaten backward. A voice in the back of his head was nagging at him, telling him it may have been a bad idea to pick a fight with the girl. He ignored it, trying to block her blows.  
  
Athena slashed again and again, unable to control herself, not wanting to. The feeling of finally being able to fight surged powerfully through her veins, like blood something swifter, pumping into her heart and shooting through her body in an endless rapid cycle. She relished each metallic clash, each hair-grazing miss made her tingle with morbid excitement. She felt at home as her instincts took over, ignoring the students that were stopping and observing the already heated battle.  
  
Seifer tried to keep up with her swift movements, her slender, tall body packing more strength than he had thought possible. Her teeth were gritted in a vicious glare as her bluesilver eyes blazed with the rage of a hurricane as she swept like a ghost upon him, her glossy midnight hair sweeping behind her elegantly. He gasped as he had to reel backward to avoid a deadly blow to the neck; the tip of the blade just barely scraped the pale skin of his throat, leaving a hairline scratch that bled. He clasped his hand to his throat, seeing the blood staining his black-gloved fingertips.  
  
"You're not playing, are you?!" Seifer cried incredulously, and Athena only glared murderously and struck at him again.  
  
Each parry, each strike and block grew more intense. At one point their gunblades ground against each other and locked, each opponent trying to beat the other down. Seifer stared with a look of fury and bewilderment at Athena's face. She looked like she meant to kill him, and he was sure that if it were not for their crossed swords between them, she would have killed him with her bare hands. He had just enough time to glance at the silver lioness head around her neck before she pushed him away with the broad blade, gesturing him to come near with a manner similar to Seifer's when he had trained with Squall. He gripped his gunblade tighter and ran forward.  
  
The sibling gunblades clashed together once more , Hyperia against Hyperion, and in one gallant sweep of the back of her gunblade Seifer was on his back, staring up with the Hyperia at his neck. He looked up at the midnight haired woman.  
  
And everything seemed to stop.  
  
He was lost for a moment. Her eyes were like silver and blue lightning intermingling in the darkness of the night, her labored, angry breaths like thunder in his ears, a continuous growl. Her ruby lips parted, teeth gritted in rage. Her strength was inexplicable, strength of a goddess dwelled within her mortal body.  
  
She was a vicious lioness.  
  
Her name is Sekhma.goddess of ferocity and virtue.  
  
"By all that's holy, Hyperion Knight," she growled. "I should kill you now."  
  
She brought her counterpart Griever down with merciless viciousness.  
  
He closed his eyes, awaiting the end. But she withdrew Hyperia from his throat and sheathed it away.  
  
She is known for her savage pride.and rare mercy.  
  
Mercy? Athena thought to herself critically. No, she amended. Patience.  
  
She waits in the darkness, patiently, for the day where she will face him again.  
  
"What is going on here?!"  
  
An old man walked into the scene, one known as Instructor Aki. "What are you doing, you two?! Don't you know the rules!? No fighting in the halls! Get your troublemaking asses down to discipline, right now! You think you're gonna get to be SeeDs with that conduct!?"  
  
As the observers stared to dissipate away, and Aki left, Athena grabbed Seifer roughly by the wrist and pulled him up, their faces close as she spoke.  
  
"Meet me in the Alcauld Plains at midnight. We'll finish this there," she growled softly, piercing his emerald eyes with hers.  
  
He nodded firmly, still lost in her thunderstorm eyes. "Fine."  
  
She released her iron grip on his wrist and bounded off for the discipline room, a storm of barely bridled rage. Seifer stood alone, staring at her figure as she swept away like an angry ghost, a sliver of darkness captured in the light of day.  
  
She was amazing.  
  
But a lioness guards her own.  
  
  
  
A/N: Whaddya think? Heaven Lee, sorry, I think I kinda stole your idea with the mythology dialogue about Sekhma. I couldn't resist! Please review! Please! 


	5. Accepting Defeat

****

Tears Of The Lioness

A/N: Flashbacks are signaled by ***. 

Chapter Four: 

They spent the rest of the day in discipline. Seifer spent the time fiddling with the panel computer. Athena was seated across the room. Quistis was at her desk, doing paperwork. They were the only ones in discipline that day.

Seifer logged on to the instant messenger, his fingers hitting the keys quietly so the instructor couldn't hear. He knew how to work these things, being the former disciplinary officer he knew how to get into most of Garden systems. He centered in on Athena's computer by typing in its id number, and typed in a message.

S. Almasy: Athena. Is this boring or what?

Over on the other side of the room, Athena had been analyzing the panel before her, not sure what to make of it. Then suddenly a window popped up on the screen, displaying a message from Seifer. Then she saw a cursor blinking below his message, and curiously she typed in a message of her own.

Athena: What is this?

S. Almasy: What do you think it is? It's a private chat room.

Athena: This is a discipline room. We are not here to chat. And it is not private.

S. Almasy: L No…jeez. Haven't you ever heard of a computer chat room before?

Athena: Certainly I have heard of computers. But where I come from, we have no need of them.

S. Almasy: Where _do_ you come from, anyway? Mars?

Athena: I would rather not say. 

S. Almasy: Whatever. Listen, I swear I saw you in my bathroom this morning. You were standing right there.

Athena: I assure you I have no idea what you're talking about.

S. Almasy: …I must have been seeing things.

Athena: Yes. That could be possible. Considering.

S. Almasy: Considering _what_???

Athena:…Nothing.

S. Almasy: No, no. Clarify this for me, Athena. What exactly do you mean?

Athena: Considering the fact that you are weak…it is no surprise for you to be seeing things. 

Seifer's teeth gritted as he read what Athena had to say. That bitch!

S. Almasy: What?!

Athena: It is all right to admit that you are weak. My lips are finely sealed.

S. Almasy: I'm not weak! 

Athena: Then you are afraid of me. That is fine. There are few who aren't.

S. Almasy: Oh, you are asking for it, BITCH! I'm not scared of you! I'm not scared of anyone! 

Athena: …I know one person you are afraid of, Hyperion Knight…do not deny your fear for her…I know…though you try to forget, you will always be looking over your shoulder for her…

Seifer's eyes widened, shivers running through his body. He slowly looked up from the panel, and saw Athena staring at him from across the room. Her ruby lips were turned upward in a dark smirk, her eyes boring like bluesilver lasers into his soul. His own lips mouthed the word 'bitch', and her smirk grew wider, bowing her raven haired head slowly.

Athena: I know. See you at midnight…if you dare.

Seifer was about to type another message at her, but then something beeped and the screen read under Athena's last message:

Athena logged off at 14:35 

"You bitch!" he hissed aloud, hitting the panel screen angrily with his black gloved fist. The screen went blank and Quistis' head rose from her paperwork, hearing the profanity.

"Seifer, who are you talking to?" she demanded. "Are you abusing the school property again?" 

"……"

She sighed. "Just for that, you will stay an hour more. Athena, is it? You may leave."

"Certainly," Athena replied. She stood from her seat and gazed into Seifer's eyes. Seifer shuddered again. There was such patience in her eyes, a clever wonder sparkling in the bluesilver irises. It looked much like how Matron, when possessed by Ultimecia, had gazed upon Squall when he had jumped the float at the Deling Parade. Then without a word she turned away and left the classroom.

That night, Seifer sat at his own computer, watching the clock closely. He intended on meeting her at midnight, but he wanted to try and dig up some info on her first.

He checked all the known Garden's databases. There was no record of Athena in either of them. In fact, according to the computer, Athena did not exist. There were no records of her anywhere.

(Athena…she looks so familiar…why can't I remember seeing her before? Where have I heard her name? Where have I seen her face? Where have I heard her voice???)

He gave up on the computer and began to get ready for the fight. He sheathed his freshly oiled gunblade and opened the window. With nimble ease he dropped down, feeling the autumn grass crunch under his feet. The moon above was full and the night sky was speckled with stars. 

Without a word, he slipped away to face Athena once more.

The moon above was entirely full and glowing with tremendous radiance and power. Athena could feel the silver light around her, inside her, a presence she could not escape. 

(Something is not right,) she thought to herself, watching the moon as it slowly reached its midnight peak. (Something is wrong here. Everything is normal…and yet…nothing is as it's supposed to be.)

That wary feeling crept across Athena's skin again, like so many times before. But this time it was so strong, like something was going wrong; somewhere something terribly irregular and unnatural was occurring. She did not like this feeling…

***

__

Luna paced back and forth in her cell, feeling restless and wary. She'd only come to the Sea Lab about a week ago. Her pale skin glowed almost blue from the large plexiglass window that displayed a view of the entire ocean. It looked very peaceful, and yet Luna felt so alarmed, as if something bad were about to happen.

Dr. Odine walked in quite calmly, looking down at Luna with a smile. "Ah, good morning Luna. I hoped you vere avake. We're going to run some tests right here, so you won't have to go anyvere…"

"I am not entirely sure that is a good idea," Luna muttered strangely, Odine's smile fading.

"Oh? And why, exactly?"

"…" Luna could find no reason.

"Zat's vat I thought. Now, sit down so I can test your current vitals…" Luna sat and Odine pulled out an armband, and started taking her blood pressure and her heart rate and things like that that fascinate a man of science such as Odine.

As he readied a hypodermic to draw a sample of her blood, her eyes remained on the window and the world out side. Out of nowhere a monster fish appeared, swimming at a very fast rate. As Odine prepared to insert the needle into her arm, the fish slammed dead on into the window without stopping, making Luna actually jump and the needle went in wrong and left her a small but deep cut that began to bleed immediately.

"Dammit! Stupid fish." He set the hypodermic needle down and analyzed the deep cut, made by the razor point of the needle into her arm. Luna did not even flinch at the pain, which had always confused Odine because she did not seem to respond to pain…ever. He quickly cleaned and bandaged the silent preteen's arm, taking out another sterile needle.

"Not to vorry, Luna," he said brightly, preparing the extra needle. 

But Luna turned her head again at the window, her arm growing tense in his grasp. "Doctor…"

"I'm almost done, Luna, be patient."

"Doctor…look…"

Dr. Odine looked up and gasped. An entire school of monster fish rammed their scaly bodies into the glass window just as he looked, frothing the water and spider-webbing the once thought unbreakable glass with their massive weight. They attacked the glass again and again, baring their razor teeth, trying to get in. The window began to give way…

Luna jumped up without a word and ran toward the door, reaching the outer hallway and ready to seal it off. But before she could do that she saw Dr. Odine still inside the cell, still on his knees, quavering in fear as the glass began to crack and spurt water as millions of pounds of pressure were applied to it…

Her conscience getting the better of her, she ran back in and grabbed his arm, pulling his shocked self quickly to the hallway and left him to lie there. The window then imploded on itself in a mass of glass shards, frothy, bloody water, and razor jawed fish. Without hesitation she hit the emergency lock button, and the door automatically slid shut, sealing off the deluge. She backed away as the monster fish rammed themselves uselessly into solid steel, tripping over Odine's robes and falling to the ground beside him, the shock slowly subsiding.

"My…my dear sveet Hyne…we could've died, both of us…" Odine whispered; his eyes still as wide as saucers. "Luna…you saved my life. Zank you…Luna? Are you okay?"

Luna only stared at the steel wall plainly, hearing the monster angelfish gnawing vainly at the impenetrable metal. Dr. Odine looked at her, a strange look in his wide eyes as he stared at the child.

"You…knew…didn't you, Luna?"

***

Didn't you, Luna?

Athena closed her eyes as she brushed upon that fateful memory. Now she regretted saving that scientist's life, but things had been different then. Yes, she had known. Without knowing it, she knew. It was only a little later they had both realized that due to a shift in the moon's gravitational orbit, the monster fish had been driven into a murderous frenzy for blood. No astronomer had predicted it, no oceanographer had spotted it. Only a young girl, barely a teen, secluded in a private laboratory under the sea miles and miles away from the surface world, had known what was coming.

A gift…and a terrible curse…

"Athena."

Athena turned to see Seifer. He looked very defined, his gray trenchcoat swaying in the breeze, standing straight and tall. The red scar that lined the middle of his face balanced his handsome features, his fierce, proud jade eyes glimmering like gems in the night. His hair, deliberately disheveled slightly, shifted lightly in the autumn wind. Soft pink lips vaguely turned up in a soft yet lecherous grin. His gunblade already drawn, clenched in his black gloved hand. A perfect picture of the lone knight.

Seifer stared at his opponent. In the moonlight, she was different. Her marble white skin was set aglow by the silver rays, her long, midnight hair glistening against the light. Her eyes remained the same disturbingly beautiful color, yet there was a strange glow to them this night. She stood in the long grass, as still as a statue, as silent as a shadow. She stood there, watching, waiting.

No words passed between them. There was a lone metallic swish as Athena drew Hyperia from her waist and held it firmly at her side, as if waiting for him to make the first move, her face growing tense. Seifer could tell she was impatient and ready to fight.

Without a single word they lunged at each other, twin gunblades swerving towards each other. The silent night air rang suddenly with the sounds of the clashing of swords and the exerted grunts of the two opponents.

"YAH!"

"Ugh!"

Seifer was on the ground as Athena swung around and caught him in the back with the non sharp base of her blade. His knees buckled beneath him, and he fell. Instantly he twisted his body around to meet the face of his adversary, gunblade still in hand.

A series of swift parries and blows occurred, the piercing sound of metal against metal in the night air. Seifer drove at her again and again, trying to break her strength, but she seemed to have an endless supply of it, as his arms grew weary and tense she seemed to have constant energy. He staggered back, his eyes locked with hers as he readied for the next attack. She was not tiring, and seemed stronger than ever.

"What? Tired already?" she taunted. "Not what you expect from the Hyperion Knight."

He swiped the gunblade at her. "I'm not tired!"

She leapt forward and swung at him, their gunblades colliding in midair. He threw her back in anger, though she did not go far, catching her balance quickly.

"And I'm not afraid of you either!" he growled. 

"Then you are a fool," she snarled back at him. 

For several minutes they continued to fight, neither winning nor losing against each other, though Seifer fought hard to keep up with Athena's swift movements. Their breaths grew loud in the air as the fighting ensued, the clashing of blades louder.

Athena blocked his gunblade as he came in for a deadly blow. The look in his eyes was amazing, like green fire burning furiously within two prisms. His teeth were gritted, his face muscles tense and gleaming with the perspiration of battle. He was tiring, she knew, but was refusing to give up. She admired that, at least, the refusal to give in. Maybe they weren't so different after all. 

Seifer's breath was like fire in his throat as he ran a fake swipe at her, running past her and turning back quickly. He decided to end it right that moment, and, still holding his gunblade, held up his right palm. Athena stood ready.

"Here's a little thing Ultimecia taught me!" he shouted mockingly at her, his hand growing hot. "FIRAGA!!!"

From the midnight air conjured a giant, fiery sphere of red and orange light, a miniature sun. He grinned lecherously as he hurled the flame at the silent woman, grunting with the effort.

It soared through the air at tremendous speed towards Athena, who strangely stood very still and did not bother to move from the fireball's path. Just watching, waiting. 

Suddenly the fireball's speed seemed to decrease, slowing down as it reached its target and then stopping altogether right in front of Athena. 

"What the hell…?" Seifer murmured, terribly confused.

Athena seemed to gaze into the fireball's depths, so close that the flames seemed to lap at her pale face but not hurt her. Her eyes illuminated in the brightness of the fire, and it began to grow larger in size. Then, it swerved away from Athena…and hurled straight back at Seifer.

"Holy shi—"

His world exploded in a mass of flames, flinging him violently backwards in the air, the searing fire swirling around him and almost appearing to keep him afloat for a moment before sending him plummeting onto the autumn ground. As he was hit, however, he'd panicked and accidentally pulled the trigger on his Hyperion.

He hit the ground hard, feeling his arm shoot back a little from the force of his gunblade going off. The paramagic flames disappeared quickly but left their damage; minor burns on his skin and scorch marks on his clothes. But they disappeared fast enough for him to hear Athena grunt loudly, and see her slender body jerk backward and then fall.

He'd shot her.

Her body lay still on the ground as he staggered to his feet and ran near, seeing the wound immediately. Right below her left shoulder, a gaping bullet hole stood out like a crater; blood freely and vigorously flowed from the wound, shining dark on her black shirt.

"Oh my god…" Seifer knelt down beside the unconscious body, visions of murder charges and life in prison already swimming in his head. "Athena? Athena, can you hear me? God dammit!"

As he reached within his coat for a Potion or a Remedy or something that would be able to help, Athena's eyes slid open slowly, facing the autumn night sky. He stopped the search for medicine and turned his attention back to her. "Athena!" He felt relieved, fears of murder fading away. "Stay still, I'll…"

But she was sitting up, her ears deaf to his words. She looked down at the bleeding bullet wound, looking at it blankly but not the slightest hint of pain glistened her eyes. Taking the thumb and the index finger of her left hand, she prod them into the wound and without the slightest flinch, pulled a glistening black bullet from the hole. The sight almost made Seifer want to throw up.

She brought both of her hands up and folded them over the wound, the blood oozing through her fingers. Her hands glowed a dark purple-black light and when she took them away, there was no wound; no blood. Only a jagged hole in her black shirt, the only evidence of there ever being a wound. The skin underneath was as smooth and whole as ever.

She looked up at him, a strange look in her eye, almost frightening.

"What are you looking at?" she asked quietly.

He couldn't speak. She stood up, brushing herself off and picking up her Hyperia. 

"Well fought, Seifer Almasy." She cleaned the dust off the silver blade with her hand. "I must admit that you have defeated me in this bout."

"What do you mean, I won? I shouldn't win." His face was indignant. "I almost killed you."

She gave him a wry look. "You of all people should know that death is a factor in battle that all must face. Good evening to you." She began to walk away.

Seifer gritted his teeth. "Then I forfeit my victory."

She swung back immediately, her gunblade pointed squarely at his throat. "I refuse your yielding!" she snarled. "I refuse to receive victory that I do not deserve, just because you are too weak to acknowledge it. Unless you'd like to have another bout right now?" she offered, her eyes gleaming dangerously. "We'll settle it all in one more spar."

"What is it with you?" Seifer demanded. "You're constantly leaping at my throat! I never did anything to you, I don't even fucking know you! Can't you just leave it be!? You won!"

"I will never win until I say I win," she growled deeply. "I will never leave you be…never." And she stormed away. "You have won now, Seifer Almasy," she called back. "But savor your victory while you can."

Seifer sat at his computer the next morning, as usual, eating some leftover macaroni. There was a brief knocking at his door, and he vaguely wondered who would be up at this hour, much less at his door. He got up and answered it.

To his surprise, the person standing on his doorstep was no other than Fujin. Looking a little abashed, the silver haired woman looked up at him. 

"What do you want?" he asked his former friend.

"…Forgiveness," she muttered. "I…I'm sorry. I missed you, to tell the truth. Raijin got mad and kicked me out…well, actually I left, and I couldn't stand it anymore. I wanted to know if I could stay…here. At least until I can switch dorms."

Seifer looked at her. He knew the embarrassment of facing her ex best friend must be killing her, but honestly he'd missed her too. To hell with Raijin. And it had been his fault, kind of…she had warned him.

"Come on in, Fuj," Seifer said, displaying a soft smile. Fujin, looking extremely relieved, walked in carrying a duffel bag.

Two sodas and a frozen pizza later in the common room of the double dorm, Fujin was still telling him how horrible life in the Garden had been without him. "It's just no fun without you, Seif. It's been so boring I could barely stand it. Raijin isn't too upset though. He's practically made up his own 'I Hate Seifer' club. I guess we know where his loyalties lie. But hey? What's been happening lately with you?" she asked as they hung out on the couch.

Seifer told her everything about how he'd met Athena and her constant craving to battle him. He told her about the bathroom incident and the chat room, and last night's midnight spar, especially when she had changed the course of his fireball without even the aid of a Reflect spell, and most especially about how she'd pulled the bullet from her own shoulder and healed herself.

"I just don't get it," Seifer said, taking a bite of his pizza. "She didn't even cast a spell and the next thing I knew I was on fire. And the woman doesn't seem to feel pain. She plucked that bullet out of her like it wasn't even her! She's just plain weird."

Fujin shrugged. "Maybe she's psychic."

"Psycho?"

She grinned. "You know. Psychic. Telekinetic. She can read minds and bend spoons with her mind and stuff."

"I thought that stuff was just a lot of sci fi crap."

"Not at all. There are actually schools for people like that. Besides, what else can it be?"

"You're right. But get this. I hacked into at least every government listing file, and all records show that she doesn't exist. And every time I look at her I have this feeling like I've known her all my life. Explain that."

Fujin's eyes widened. "…I can't think of anything for that."

"Damn straight." He sighed. "But it's obvious I'm not going to find out anytime soon. She's a secretive little bitch. But she seems to know a lot about me, I'll tell you that. She's just creepy."

Fujin looked very concerned now. "Hmm…I don't have any idea what this girl's about either, Seifer. But from what you told me I think you should be careful around her. I think she's looking to kill you."

"Believe me, Fujin," Seifer laughed dryly. "If she wanted to kill me…she would've done it by now."

"Hey. Maybe…she's…you know…" Fujin paused, as if not certain how to put her thoughts into words. "One of your…victims?"

"What? You mean like that Trabia student? No. I looked her up, remember? She simply doesn't exist. But you have a point. She could be holding a grudge." He got up and put their plates in the sink. "She's really strange. Looking at me like she does. Taunting me. It always feels so cold when she comes near, and dark. She's almost like…" Seifer trailed off on his own breath, and shook his head stubbornly. "But whatever she's about, it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. She's probably just trying to scare me, like everyone else." He looked at the clock on the counter, which read 8:56 a.m.

"Dammit." Seifer turned and shrugged. "Class starts in a few minutes. We gotta get going." 


	6. Anger

****

Tears Of The Lioness

Chapter Five:

As Seifer and Fujin entered the second floor classroom, they found that Athena was already in her seat, in the seat where Squall had once been seated, waiting patiently for class to begin. Without a word the duo took their seats, in the row next to her.

Fujin eyed the dark haired woman silently, seeing her for the first time, and no longer wondered why Seifer was so baffled. The young woman had eyes that showed no emotion and her face as still as a statue's. She had look about her, though, like she knew something others did not. It made the one eyed girl's skin creep.

(Seifer was right,) she thought to herself. (She is very strange.)

As she finished thinking that Athena's head snapped to face her, eyes glowing briefly with anger and insult, as if she'd heard her. Fujin froze, her heart stopping, and opened her mouth to say something, anything, but then Quistis walked in.

"Good morning class. Be seated." 

Fujin watched as the pink clad blonde set her grade books on the desk and sat down in her chair. When she looked back at Athena, she found that the tall woman was logging onto her computer panel very nonchalantly, as if those few moments had never happened.

Athena logged onto her panel, withdrawing the anger that had lashed so suddenly out at the silver haired woman. She had heard her voice as clearly as a bell, so much that she for a second thought the girl had said it out loud. She looked familiar, but where…?

"Today we are going to discuss the Garden's recent history," Quistis informed, picking up her chalk. "Commander Leonhart has told me and the other teachers to inform you of our recent events, so the rumors will stop spreading," she pointed out, a grating to her tone, "And so you might be able to handle similar situations in the future, should they arise." She turned toward the black board and wrote upon it in large letters 'Second Sorceress War'. "Our prevalent situation has been classified in the history books as the Second Sorceress War. Many people, militia and civilians alike, were killed due to the recklessness of one person. Sorceress Ultimecia. A sorceress from the far future, filled with hate and anger. She tried to destroy the world we know of, and make it into a vast, barren world where only she could survive…"

Seifer heard someone scoff lightly, and it wasn't Fujin.

Quistis lowered her glasses, seeing that she had every ear of the classroom with her talk of the deceased sorceress. "But that's not the topic of today's lecture."

Moans and groans filled the class, and Quistis smiled dauntingly. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find our topic more than satisfying." She turned to the chalkboard again, and wrote the words 'LUNATIC PANDORA'.

Athena's eyes widened vaguely.

"Lunatic Pandora is a baffling mystery to even the geniuses of our time," she said. She began to draw a crude sketch on the blackboard. "It is a rough rectangular prism shape, having a thicker base than a top. From where I saw it…and yes I did see it—it was about 3 miles in length and almost 1 mile in width on all sides. And yet, although it's size would portray its weight to be at least several thousand tons, it floated over the ground without any sign of jet propulsion, or engines, or any kind of energy that might have been holding it up. Sometimes it seemed transparent, sometimes solid, it was very confusing. It is rumoured to come from the ocean, though no one really knows. It is said to be able to trigger the Lunar Cry, the event from which monsters fall from the moon. Twenty years ago it left a crater in Centra, and wiped out the entire capital of the continent…"

Athena listened to Quistis, feeling suddenly hypersensitive to the air around her, and drowsy, and unaware of her surrounding classmates. Her eyes slid slowly closed; but instead of seeing darkness, she saw…

__

Beams of silver light, like the light of the moon, from a tall prism…but there was no air here, choking water, and so dark was the water, and the moon beams were dim, but slowly growing brighter, the sea floor was churning and glowing fish swam up and around it as if keeping guard…a voiceless cry in her mind, a whisper, a siren…

(Athena…come home…)

"…and it would be nice if some people would sleep in their dorms at night instead of in my classroom."

Athena's eyes snapped open and saw the instructor glaring at her, the other students chuckling and snickering at the reprimand. A flush of red briefly washed over her cheeks, and she glared right back at Quistis, her emotionless eyes gleaming.

"Awake now? Good. Now pay attention." Quistis turned around and began to write on the chalkboard again. "It seemed that once Lunatic Pandora appeared out of nowhere, monsters all over the earth began to behave quite erratically. Even usually docile creatures became very irate. When the Lunatic Pandora disappeared, the Galbadians that had been controlling it were left with amnesia and could not remember anything about even seeing it. Even I can't remember what it looks like inside…"

Athena's eyes seemed to glow briefly, and then there was a loud dying hum as all the computer panels and lights turned off at once. There was an echoing cry as the students stood up in their seats, confused and startled by the sudden outage.

"Now what in the blazes…! Zell must be playing around with the electrical system again! Remain calm, I'll be right back," Quistis said, going for the door and walked toward it, only to realize it wouldn't open. She pulled at the mechanical sliding doors but they seemed to be glued shut. "Damn these electric doors!"

As they all stood in the darkness of the room, panicking about being locked in, screams rang out as everything began to vibrate very barely, even the floor below their feet. Seifer looked over and saw Athena's face expressionless but her eyes gleaming with malicious merriment. Suddenly the entire room began to shake very violently; screams began to fill the air and loud thumps as people were thrown from their seats and into each other from the force of the rocking.

Hang on!" Seifer ordered to a panicking Fujin, grabbing her shoulder and holding her to the seat. The shaking increased dramatically, until it felt like the entire classroom were on the back of a bucking horse.

Athena smirked darkly as she sat in her seat without fear of falling out, strangely relishing the screams of fear sounding around her like firecrackers going off. Through the panic she heard the instructor screaming as well, on the verge of sobbing so afraid she was.

"Oh, Hyne!!!" she heard. "Please somebody stop this!!! Help!!!"

The shaking came to a very sudden halt, leaving everyone in silent darkness for one moment before the lights all came back on at once, the door whirred open and the computers snapped back on simultaneously, rebooting.

The classroom was quiet. Students were lying on the floor, slumping over desks, hanging onto their seats. Quistis was on the floor next to the now opened door, looking like a survivor of a sinking ship crawling onto a sandy shore. She crawled over to the wall and pulled herself up, very distressed, her glasses askew. She straightened them and looked about the classroom.

"Is anyone injured?" she called out.

"I'm okay, I think," one said. 

"Fine."

"Could be better."

"What the hell was that?"

"An earthquake, I believe," Quistis offered, not quite sure herself. She straightened her skirt. "I'm glad no one was hurt." She looked around the classroom, and met Athena's eyes once more. The black clad girl was sitting in the same disciplined position as before, as if she hadn't even moved. The instructor squinted at her, a slight case of déjà vu gripping at her suddenly, then fading away.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to dismiss you all for today, until I can sort this out with the Commander. Others in the Garden may be injured from this quake…"

Just then the phone rang on her desk. She swiftly picked it up. "Hello? Squall…well, it's not my fault you've been trying to reach me for the past three minutes! If you didn't notice we've just had a major earthquake! Was anyone hurt?" Quistis' face tightened in confusion. "What do you mean, 'what earthquake'? The one that just rocked the entire Garden out of its foundation! Our electricity went out, the door locked and suddenly we were being tossed around like jumping beans! No I have not been drinking again, Squall!" She sighed in frustration. "What is it you called for?" She listened, her eyes widening. "Really? You're kidding…I'll have them ready in fifteen minutes, Squall. Until then." She hung up, a strange look in her eyes.

"Well, class, that was the commander on the phone…he said there was no earthquake. Either this has all been some massive delirium, or…or something very strange is occurring." She shook her head. "The commander has informed me that Dollet has requested our assistance once more. Your SeeD test is apparently starting right now. I want everyone to go back to their dorms and prepare, and be in the 1st floor lobby in fifteen minutes. You are not to wear your candidate uniforms. Class dismissed."

As everyone quickly hurried out of the room, Fujin and Seifer exchanged glances watching Athena silently slip away, her long black hair swaying behind her.

"I don't think that was any earthquake, Seifer," Fujin whispered, trying to sooth her still shaking limbs.

"Me neither."

"You know what I think? I think our friend Athena is a full blown psychokinetic…and Quistis just got on her nerves." The silver haired woman stood up. 

"But there's no point in thinking about it right now. We have to hurry if we're going to make this pop SeeD exam." 

Seifer nodded lightly, his eyes troubled. "Yeah. Okay."

Sehkma greeted Athena with a purr at the door, rubbing up against her leg in the most affectionate manner. The cat's almond shaped eyes sparkled, as if she knew everything that had happened moments ago.

"Yes, Sehkma. I did lose my temper on the little blonde. But it was worth it just to hear them scream." Athena enveloped the cat in her arms, rubbing her behind the ears. "And the look on Seifer's face…I think he knew it was me. And that silver haired one. Fujin, I heard him say?" She filled Sehkma's saucer with fresh milk and set it on the floor, putting the tabby down so she could drink from it. "But I relished to hear the blonde one scream. She deserved to feel fear…" The power hungry look in her eyes, however, began to fade. "At least, that was my feeling then." She took out her gunblade and began to polish and oil it thoroughly. "But she interrupted my vision. I knew I was about to learn something important, and then she broke the contact. Of course she did not know that was what I was doing…because she does not understand things such as that." She finished polishing and gave the Hyperia a few test swipes. "She is a teacher of the practical and known. She fights for what she sees. Or what she chooses to see. But then again, they all do."

"Mrrr," Sehkma responded. 

"I tend to change that, Sehkma. I don't know how, but…" Athena paused in mid-sentence, suddenly feeling very lethargic. A piercing ring filled her ears, screaming its eerie lullaby into her conscious.

"Ah…aaagh…"

The world around her slowed down and Athena only managed to let her gunblade fall harmlessly onto her bed before collapsing onto the floor.

__

(Uhh…oh…what…what is this…?)

(Wait…this happened before…in the laboratory…)

(Ellone…?…)

Four people ran from the laboratory, getting in a car and driving as fast away as they could, Kiros, Ward, Laguna, and Ellone. Ellone looked out the backseat window desperately and cried.

(Ellone…Laguna…)

"What's wrong, Elle? Are you okay?" Laguna soothed her, trying to bring her away from the window.

"Luna! We have to go get Luna!" Elle sobbed. "Please, Uncle Laguna, we have to go back for her!"

(Don't come back for me…don't cry, Ellone…)

"You mean that black haired kid?" Laguna asked. Elle nodded tearfully. "Ah, Elle, we can't. We have to get back to the resistance headquarters."

"But you g-gotta go back!" she cried. "She'll die there! She's my friend!"

(I did not die…you know that now…only tortured…)

"No she won't." Laguna held her shaking form in his strong arms, planting a kiss in her hair. His sensitive blue eyes held guilt. "Dr. Odine is a maniac, but he'd never kill a kid. Once we overthrow Adel, we'll come back for her. Odine won't be able to stop us. I promise."

(He wouldn't kill a child…hah…)

"B-but what if she's gone!?"

"Then we'll look for her. I promise, Elle. She'll be okay."

"O-okay…"

(Ellone…you were my friend. But you were Luna's friend. I am not Luna anymore…)

(Ellone…you…you're here, aren't you?! Ellone!!!)

(I begged Uncle Laguna to go back for you, Luna. But it was too dangerous to go back. He promised me we'd come back for you someday…)

(But you were gone, just as I'd suspected. We searched for you everywhere, on land and ocean…but we did not find you, ever…)

(Only until I saw you at the Sorceress Memorial did I realize why my friend did not keep her promise. And now…)

(We're still looking for you, Luna. We're still searching. There is no reason to hide from me anymore. We're coming to rescue you like we should have.)

(But…!)

(I'm sorry, Luna. Your end of the connection is breaking. I'll speak to you again, goodbye…)

"Mrreow…"

"Get away, you stupid cat! Athena? Athena!"

Seifer stood over Athena's unconscious body, shaking her roughly. He'd been going by her door, to realize it was open, and that Athena was lying sprawled on her floor, a stray tabby, pawing at her arm and licking her pale face.

He felt slightly relieved as her eyes slid open, dazed. 

"Damn, Athena, you okay? I thought you were dead."

At first she didn't respond. Her eyes were held naked emotion, as she seemed to be lost, thinking about something else. As she fully came to, however, her face shuttered the emotions, and she stood up, pushing him roughly away.

"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of being dead," she snapped, picking up her gunblade.

Seifer scoffed. He looked down as he saw the orange tabby rubbing up against his legs, frowning slightly. "I never imagined you one to have a pet, Athena."

She rose a thin black eyebrow. "I never imagined you one to be a chivalrous knight helping fallen damsels, but there you go."

"Hm." Seifer looked down with a grimace at the purring feline. "You got a way to make this thing get away from me?"

Athena shrugged. "I cannot help it if Sehkma likes you. She does what she wants, I do not control her." She sheathed her gunblade at her waist. 

Seifer blinked at the ancient name. Sehkma…?

"We had better get a move on, Seifer Almasy," Athena continued, seeing the question in his eyes and wanting to ignore it. "Or we will miss our exam." She bent down and rubbed the cat between the ears, and then stopped at the door. "After you, Sir Almasy," she offered, a glint in her eyes.

Seifer's mind flashed.

__

After you, Sir Almasy…

"What are you waiting for?" Athena asked with a slight growl. "Go."

Seifer shook his head from the eerie thought and glared at Athena, marching out the door, his trenchcoat swaying behind him.

Athena squinted at the blonde man, and, after locking her door, followed him.

TBC…


End file.
